Seven tourist divers and their local dive-guide spent almost 30 hours floating off the Pacific islands of Palau before being rescued by what the US Coast Guard has described as a “Good Samaritan” fisherman.
The divers, visiting the Micronesian diving destination from China, were reported missing near the popular Peleliu Corner dive-site at about mid-day on Boxing Day, having gone unnoticed at the surface following a 45-minute boat-dive.
Peleliu Island lies south-west of Palau's biggest island Babeldaob, and the Corner site is known for its strong currents. There were thunderstorms and heavy rain in the area at the time, with metre-high waves and 2m swells.
A search and rescue operation was launched south-west of Peleliu by Palau’s rescue authorities but expanded beyond its territory into a region covered for SAR purposes by the US Coast Guard.
This triggered an operation co-ordinated by Coast Guard Forces Micronesia, based in Guam, from the morning of 27 December. Its drift modelling correctly suggested that the group was most likely to have drifted north-west, and the operation was being shifted in that direction when fisherman Jerome Sakurai came across the divers by chance at about 4pm.
They had drifted about 50km north-west of their dive-site, as the Coast Guard had calculated, but had stayed together and remained in what was described as “good condition”.
“The safe recovery of eight missing divers near Peleliu Corner is a testament to the incredible community spirit of Palau,” said mission co-ordinator Coast Guard Commander Ryan Crose. “A local fisherman’s vigilance and swift action ultimately brought the search to a successful conclusion, showcasing the vital role of Palau’s residents and their deep connection to their waters.”
Palau’s Marine Law Enforcement Division, state rangers and Pacific Mission Aviation were also involved in the search.
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