Rescuers are searching for a British father and son off the coast of Malaysia after the pair disappeared on Wednesday during a group training dive.
Adrian Chesters, 46, and his 14-year-old son, Nathen, were diving off the coast of Mersing, in the southern state of Johor. Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, from France, also remains unaccounted for.
Police said on Thursday that they still believed the divers would be found. The district chief, Cyril Edward Nuing, said: “With their equipment, their full gear and their experience, we believe there is a strong chance of finding them alive.”
Diving has since been suspended off Mersing, with the boat’s skipper detained by police amid the investigation.
Diving instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, who was training the group for their advanced licences, has been found safe after becoming separated from the group.
An hour into the dive, alarms were raised after the group did not surface. According to maritime officials, Grodem was rescued by a tug boat before being airlifted from the scene. Grodem told police that the three others had managed to surface.
The search resumed on Thursday morning after being called off late on Wednesday due to poor visibility. The rescue effort included two planes, 18 boats and nearly 90 personnel including rescue divers.
“We cannot allow diving to continue if safety measures are compromised,” said Johor’s sultan, Ibrahim Iskandar.
Malaysia reopened its borders to foreigners on 1 April after they were closed for more than two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Malaysia’s immigration department said more than 55,000 foreigners had entered the country in the first four days since the border opened.
