Indonesia searches for more Japan divers after five rescued

By
AFP
|
Indonesia searches for more Japan divers after five rescued
SEMAWANG: Indonesian authorities scoured waters off Bali on Tuesday for two Japanese scuba divers missing for four days, as friends and colleagues heartened by the astonishing rescue of five others in the group expressed hope they will be found.

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 spotted five of the women clinging to a coral reef in rough waters on Monday, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from where they set off, and rescuers plucked them to safety in a helicopter and lifeboat.

The women, who are all in hospital on Bali, 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.

Rescuers stepped up their efforts to find the remaining two divers on Tuesday, with a helicopter and two boats dispatched to search the Manta Point area, off Nusa Penida island, where the other divers were found.