A Briton and a French teenager were rescued on Saturday, April 9, three days after they disappeared while diving off the coast of Malaysia.
Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and Alexandra Molina, 18, were spotted by fishermen and rescued by police, said local police chief Cyril Eward Nuing.
“They survived and are in a stable condition in hospital,” he told a news conference. They were found off the coast of Johor state (south), far from where they initially began their dive, before being taken to hospital.
On the other hand, Adrian Peter Chesters’ son, Nathen, 14, who accompanied them at the time of the tragedy, did not come out unscathed. The teenager with Dutch nationality “too weak … did not survive”, according to a press release from the coastguard, citing the father.
HELICOPTERS MOBILIZED FOR RESEARCH
The group had dived into the sea for about 40 minutes on Wednesday, under the guidance of a Norwegian instructor, near an island group in the south of Malaysia, about 15 kilometers off the coast. the accident has happened. But when the divers surfaced, they couldn’t find their boat and drifted in strong currents. The area where they disappeared is popular with tourists.
Penyelam warga Great Britain Adrian Peter Chesters dan warga Perancis Alexia Alexandra Molina yang hilang di Pulau Tokong Sanggol dekat Mersing, Johor pada Rabu ditemukan selamat – Polis pic.twitter.com/SY4Z6ZAR8N
— BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) Apr 9, 2022
Their dive instructor, Kristine Grodem, 35, was rescued Thursday after she was discovered at sea by a passing boat, also a considerable distance from where the group disappeared on Wednesday. She was picked up by a helicopter used for the search and taken to the nearby Mersing district before being hospitalized in stable condition.
Rare Accidents
Authorities did not provide details on how the three rescued people survived. But they say the light rains seen in recent days may have helped the divers. Helicopters, boats and several dozen divers took part in the search. Police also revealed that the captain of the boat that took them to the diving area had been arrested after testing positive for drugs†
Diving accidents are rare in Malaysia but in 2013, a British diver died after being injured by a boat motor while diving near islands in the South China Sea.
