A recreational diving trip at Pulau Tioman ended in tragedy after a Malaysian diver became separated from her group underwater and was later found unresponsive.
A 31-year-old woman died while participating in a recreational dive near Pulau Tioman on July 19.
The victim had attended an AWARE Coral programme organised by a diving centre in Kampung Genting from July 17 to 18.
The following day, she joined nine other participants, an instructor and a divemaster for a dive at the Seafan dive site near Batu Malang, Pulau Tulai.
Separated from group at a depth of 17.6 metres
Rompin district police chief Superintendent Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi said participants were licensed divers but were still given a briefing on safety procedures and the proper use of diving equipment before entering the water.
During the dive, the victim was believed to have become separated from the group at a depth of approximately 17.6 metres.
The instructor then began searching for her.
After nearly 30 minutes, she was found unresponsive on the sandy seabed not far from the dive site. She was brought onto the boat, where rescuers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but she did not respond.
The victim was subsequently taken to the Kampung Tekek Clinic, where she was pronounced dead.
Her body was later sent to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for a post-mortem examination.
Post-mortem finds arterial gas embolism
Police said the post-mortem found that the victim died from arterial gas embolism, a condition where gas or air bubbles enter the arterial bloodstream and obstruct blood flow.
Police investigations did not find any criminal elements, and the case was classified as sudden death.
However, authorities were reportedly examining the overall circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether negligence or technical issues may have played a role.
Sharif Shai reminded members of the public to strictly follow safety procedures when taking part in diving, water sports and other outdoor activities.
He also urged participants to use suitable equipment and choose qualified professional operators.
MSDA calls for a transparent investigation
In a statement dated July 23, the Malaysia Scuba Diving Association expressed its condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
The association said it deeply regretted that another fatal accident had occurred during a recreational diving programme in Malaysian waters.
MSDA urged the relevant marine, tourism and law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.
It also called on the international dive training agencies affiliated with the facility to carry out their own fact-finding reviews.
According to MSDA, certifying agencies should carefully evaluate the circumstances surrounding incidents involving facilities with premium operational ratings so that lessons can be learned and industry standards can be upheld.
Dive operators reminded to review safety procedures
MSDA also issued a reminder to diving operators across Malaysia to review and improve their safety procedures, emergency response protocols and overall dive planning.
The safety of divers must always remain the absolute and uncompromising priority,” the association said.
It stressed that appropriate supervision ratios, briefings based on local environmental conditions and continuous underwater monitoring were fundamental parts of professional diving management.
The association added that these measures should not be overlooked regardless of a diver’s certification or previous experience.
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