JOHOR BARU, April 6 – The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has initiated a search and rescue (SAR) operation in Johor’s eastern waters of Mersing here after four foreign divers were reported missing.
The missing divers — two teenagers and two adults went missing during their diving training exercise in Pulau Tokong Sanggol near Mersing in the afternoon.
Pulau Tokong Sanggol is a small island about nine nautical miles to the west of the mainland point in Mersing.
Johor MMEA director First Maritime Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the Johor Baru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) received information through the Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) at 2.35pm about the incident involving four foreign divers not appearing after their diving training that took place around 12pm.
He said the victims were two British men aged 14 and 46, together with a French female aged 18 and a Norwegian female aged 35.
“The SAR operation, initiated as Op Carilamat, was activated at 2.45pm involving assets from MMEA, the Marine Police Force and the Malaysian Fisheries Department,” said Nurul Hizam in a statement issued here today.
A report on the missing divers was lodged by the boat’s skipper that brought the victims’ for their diving training exercises.
The SAR team’s search radius is estimated to cover 21.45 square nautical miles.
As of 4pm, the victims have not been found.
