Heil Family: Parents Were Not Among Five Recovered Tuesday

As the seventh day of the Costa Concordia cruise ship tragedy unfolds, the Heil family is still waiting, still hoping, and still praying.

The family released information on its blog Wednesday night, stating that they had been told their parents, Barbara and Gerry, of White Bear Lake, were not among the five people pulled from the ship's wreckage Tuesday, Jan. 17.

The accident, which occurred on the evening of Friday, Jan. 13 off the western coast of Italy, has now claimed 11 lives. Of more than 100 Americans on the ship, the Heils are the only two still missing. In all, two dozen are unaccounted for, according to media reports.

Aaron Heil, a first grade teacher at, is the son of Barbara and Gerry. He and his siblings have been working with the U.S. State Department, the Italian Embassy and other agencies to find his parents.

Rescue efforts were halted Wednesday when sonar equipment indicated the ship, which had listed completely onto its starboard side, was shifting.

In the blog entry Wednesday, the Heils said, "While it is certainly hard for us to see the recovery efforts stall due to the unstable conditions present at and around the Costa Concordia, we are also very concerned for the safety of the Italian Coast Guard as they continue to put forth a heroic effort in trying to find those who remain missing. We are grateful to all of those who are working so hard to find our parents."

Rescue efforts had resumed Thursday.

Aaron Heil is on leave from the school district, said Superintendent Jim Behle, and the school is respecting his wish for privacy, added principal Lee Brown.