MERSING – The Norwegian dive instructor, Kristine Grodem, 35, who was reported missing during a dive training at Tokong Sanggol Island was rescued by a tugboat that was on its way from Indonesia to Thailand.
The Mersing District Police Chief, Superintendent Cyril Edward Nuing said, she was found approximately 30 nautical miles from the dive site she was believed to have gone missing at about 8.15 am.
“According to her statement, all three victims managed to surface. With their dive gears and experience, we believe that we have a very high chance of finding them alive.
“The victim drifted towards the south and was found around the Tanjung Sedili waters. The victim is in a stable condition and there is no serious injuries. She is currently at the Mersing Hospital for health examination. When found, Kristine was floating on the surface of the ocean with her dive gears.
“The instructor said that the last time she saw the three other missing victims was at 12.45pm on the surface of the ocean and they shouted to communicate. However, they disappeared from her sight as they were carried away by the strong current,” he said during a news conference at the Mersing Public Jetty today.
The four foreign national divers were reported missing during a dive training at the Tokong Sanggol Island in Mersing, Johor yesterday afternoon.
The Johor Maritime Director, First Maritime Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) received the information that the four foreign divers did not surface after their dive training at 12.00 pm from the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Putrajaya at 2.35 pm.
Besides Grodem, the other victims who are still missing are identified as Adrian Peter, 46, from the United Kingdom; and his 14-year-old son, Nathen Renze, from the Netherlands and Alexia Alexandra, 18, from France.
Meanwhile, Nurul Hizam said that the dive instructor is familiar with the dive site and the search and rescue for the three remaining divers is ongoing.
“We have changed our search location to the south using our existing assets with 100 nautical miles above the sea surface. Meanwhile, the aerial search would cover the area of 270 nautical miles.
“We have also informed the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) and Singapore authorities. The Marine Department has also issued notices to the boats that are sailing around the location to help the victims if they found them,” he said. -MalaysiaGazette
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