Two foreign divers reported missing in Mersing found safe

MERSING: British diver Adrian Peter Chesters and French national Alexia Alexandra Molina, who went missing at Pulau Tokong Sanggol last Wednesday, were found safe early today.

Mersing police chief Supt Cyril Edward Nuing said they were found by local fishermen at a location south of Pengerang, near Kota Tinggi, at about 1 am, who then informed the authorities.

He said the two victims were then sent to a private hospital in Pasir Gudang by the Region Two Marine Police.

"Both victims are now in hospital for further treatment and both are reported to be in stable condition. Another victim has not been found and we are intensifying our search and rescue efforts," he told reporters at the Carilamat base set up at the Mersing district council public jetty here today.

The missing victim is Adrian's son, Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, who is from the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, Mersing Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Khairul Nizam Misran said today's search operation was to find Nathan Renze and the focus area would be shifted to the south until the waters of Tanjung Pengelih, Kota Tinggi.

He said the Singapore and Indonesia's authorities had also been informed of the matter.

"Earlier today, our search sector is from east Desaru to Southeast, so we are shifting to the south up to Tanjung Pengelih," he said, adding that merchant ships and boats passing the area had also been alerted on the search for the missing diver.

In the incident on Wednesday afternoon, four foreign divers were reported missing while diving in the waters of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, about nine nautical miles from Tanjung Leman, here.

One of them, Norwegian diving coach Kristine Grodem, 35, was found by a tugboat en route from Indonesia to Thailand at 8.15am, last Thursday.

-- BERNAMA