Identity of missing foreign divers ascertained - Johor MB

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said they were Norwegian diving coach Kristine Grodem, 35, ; Alexia Alexandra, 18, (France); Adrian Peter, 46, (British), and his 14-year-old son, Nathen Renze, from the Netherlands.

"All the victims were tourists, with one of them a diving coach. It was not the first time they went diving as all of them were experienced divers and were in the process of upgrading their diving certification," he told a press conference at Pengkalan Hadapan Carilamat at the Mersing Jetty, here, today.

Also present were Johor Police Chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, Iskandar Mersing Camp Special Service Group General Staff Chief Adi Ridzwan Abdullah and Johor Maritime Director First Maritime Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria.

Onn Hafiz said the families of the victims had been informed of the incident and were understood to be on their way here.

On the search and rescue (SAR) operation, he said, it would continue until afternoon depending on the weather condition.

In the incident at noon yesterday, the four foreign divers were reported missing in the waters of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, about nine nautical miles from Tanjung Leman, here.

Following which, a SAR operation was mounted, but was halted at 7.30 pm yesterday due to poor visibility and resumed at 7 am today, involving a total of 90 members and officers from various agencies ,including 30 divers and 18 assets.