One of four missing divers found safe off Malaysia

One of four divers that went missing on Wednesday off southeastern Malaysia was found safe yesterday. The woman, Kristine Grodem, is a diving instructor, and says she lost sight of the other divers after the group drifted far from their boat due to strong underwater currents, according to a Malaysian maritime director. The director said Grodem was airlifted to safety yesterday morning after she was found near a tugboat.

The divers disappeared two days after Malaysia reopened its borders on April 1. The search began immediately after the tourists went missing on Wednesday afternoon, before authorities halted the search at night due to poor visibility. The maritime director, Nurul Hizam, said Singaporean and Indonesian authorities, as well as ships passing by the area, have been notified to be on the lookout for the others missing. He said he was optimistic about finding the remaining three divers, as they have fully functioning diving equipment.

“We hope to find the other victims as soon as possible”.

Grodem is a Norwegian national, while the three other divers are a 46-year-old British man, a 14 year old British boy, an 18 year old French woman. The group had been diving near the small island of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, about 15 kilometres off the southern state of Johor. The waters off Johor are part of one of the busiest shipping lanes in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia’s immigration department said more than 55,000 foreigners entered the country in the first four days since the border opened.

SOURCE: Reuters | Associated Press