Rescuers scour sea for lost European divers
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — Rescue teams were Friday searching for a group of European vacationers who disappeared while on a scuba diving trip in treacherous waters off a remote tropical island in eastern Indonesia.
The divers were exploring waters in the Komodo National Park, between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, when they failed to return from a trip, according to an employee of Reefseekers diving center, which organized the expedition.
Reefseekers named dive master Kathleen Mitchinson, who was leading the group, among the missing. British, French and Swedish citizens were among those missing, the Komodo Divers Association added.
The diving center employee said two groups had entered the waters, which are a popular draw for divers keen to explore an area of unspoiled coral reefs teeming with marine life, but only one returned.
When an initial search failed to locate the second group, authorities were alerted and police and rescue teams called in.
Mitchinson’s husband Ernest Leandowski, another dive master who runs Reefseekers, told the AFP news agency that a lack of fuel for aircraft was hampering the search.
We’ve got a big search operation happening here but we’re having trouble getting aircraft to fly because of fuel problems, he said.
Time is critical. It’s absolutely blistering hot out there.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed three British nationals have been reported missing off the coast of Indonesia. It said it was providing consular assistance and liaising with local authorities involved in the search.
