Last 2 missing Japanese divers spotted off Bali
Play
Indonesian police said they believe villagers on Bali have spotted two Japanese scuba divers alive four days after they went missing, following the astonishing rescue of five others in the same group.
A huge search swung into action on Friday when the group of female divers disappeared after setting out on a diving expedition from Nusa Lembongan, just east of the resort island of Bali.
As days passed hopes faded that any of the women, all experienced divers, would be found alive in an area known for its stunning underwater beauty but also strong, unpredictable currents.
But fishermen found five of the women clinging to a coral reef in rough waters on Monday, some 20 kilometres from where they set off, and rescuers plucked them to safety in a helicopter and lifeboat.
Yesterday police said that villagers had reported seeing two people on a coral reef near the same area sending distress signals by shining lights the previous night. “We believe they are the missing Japanese divers and they are alive,” local police chief Nyoman Suarsika told AFP.
He said rescuers were on the way to the area close to Manta Point, off Nusa Penida island, which lies next to Nusa Lembongan.
“We have not been able to reach them yet,” he added.
Rescue agency officials said earlier that a helicopter and two boats had been dispatched to the area to search for the remaining divers.
The five women who have been rescued are all in hospital in Bali. They have suffered dehydration and sunburn but none are in a serious condition, doctors said.
“We caused many people so much worry over this case,” one of the divers, Saori Furukawa, wrote in a note handed to Japanese media from her hospital bed.
