Kuala Lumpur (dpa) – It’s almost a miracle: two of the three divers from Europe missing in Malaysia were rescued alive from the sea after three days.
A 46-year-old Briton and an 18-year-old Frenchwoman were discovered by fishermen on Saturday night and taken to safety, police said. Her condition is supposedly stable. They are being treated at a private hospital in the city of Pasir Gudang.
However, there is still concern: a 14-year-old Dutch national – the son of the rescued Briton – remains wanted. But as the group was washed away into the South China Sea, the search is now focused on Indonesian waters, said Cyril Edward Nuing, Mersing District Police Chief.
The tourists, along with their Norwegian diving instructor, took a diving trip off the island of Pulau Tokong Sanggol in Johor state on Wednesday, about nine nautical miles (16.6 kilometers) from the mainland. When they did not return to the boat, the authorities began a search operation by water and by air – with success.
The 35-year-old scuba instructor, who was also initially missing, was found in good condition Thursday after 20 hours in the water – but 30 nautical miles from the dive site. According to his statements, the four were back on the surface of the water when they were separated by strong currents.
The two rescued were discovered 70 nautical miles from the dive site north of the Indonesian island of Bintan in the Riau archipelago. “Based on our information, we believe that search efforts should focus on Indonesian waters,” Niung said, referring to the missing youth. The Malaysian operation will be temporarily suspended. Colleagues in the neighboring country were informed and would continue the search from there. All merchant ships and fishing boats in the region were asked to keep an eye on the boy.
From the beginning, the authorities showed confidence that the missing could be recovered alive. They were not only experienced divers, but also equipped with diving equipment such as fins and vests, as well as training material, he said. All were reportedly training for the Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
The captain of the boat that took the group out to sea raised the alarm Wednesday after the group failed to return. He has since been arrested because authorities say he tested positive for drugs.
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