7 divers missing off Indonesian island

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The news-page you linked says five divers found and still searching for the remaining two.

Looks like they have revised their story. Here's what it said earlier:
"8:49 pm, February 17, 2014

Osamu Maruyama / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
DENPASAR, Indonesia—Seven Japanese scuba divers were found alive Monday in waters off the Indonesian resort island of Bali three days after they went missing.

According to local Japanese divers who have been searching for them voluntarily, five Japanese scuba divers were found in waters near Nusa Penida Island, east of Bali, on Monday afternoon. The Indonesian marine rescue unit later received a report that the remaining two divers were also found alive in another place. One of them is believed to be Saori Furukawa, a 37-year-old diving instructor.
The rescue unit confirmed their safety.
The first five divers were found about 20 kilometers southeast of the location where the seven Japanese scuba divers, including two Japanese local diving instructors, went missing."

The Times is also now reporting that seven have been found:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article4008074.ece
 
So good to hear that some of the divers have been found, we pray that the remaining missing divers are also lucky.

The area where they were meant to be found at Manta Point, Nusa Penida has very high cliffs, and if they washed close to land here, they would not have been able to get ashore, or probably not be seen from looking down from the cliffs above.

As a past manager of a dive centre in Bali, I have to add this: My experience of so called 'experienced divers' wishing to dive Crystal Bay, Blue Corner or any of the other notorious difficult dive sites, would result in me asking for a minimum dive experience level of:

60 logged dives
experience in drift or deep diving
preferably Advanced qualification
to have dived within the last 6 months

This criteria was to try to 'weedle out' the less qualified divers, and I always stressed that this area was an advanced dive site. However, we would often have divers who did not fully fit this criteria, book themselves (and their partners/friends) onto these dives as they were desperate to see the fabled Mola Mola. (ie, they would lie about # of logged dives). I would not deem 50 logged dives as 'experienced', as these could all have been done in lakes (?) and would have wanted to check log books before taking such a group to this area, preferably after a couple of days on easier sites first , so I could check them out for myself.

I was guiding one such couple at Nusa Penida one day, when the wife could only clear her mask by resurfacing, and after following her to the surface for a third time, (by which time we were well out into the channel) I suggested that maybe we tried a different dive site, where she would feel less stressed about her husband putting her into a dive that she clearly was not ready for.

Having said that, I found that, if I refused to take less qualified/less experienced divers, who, in my opinion, were not suitable for diving the strong current dive sites, they would only go to one of the neighbouring dive centres, who would probably take them there anyway.

It is very difficult to persuade determine divers that (maybe) they are a little lacking in experience, when all they want to see during this dive trip to Bali is the Mola Mola, and that if this means diving an area that is beyond their level of experience, then so be it. "Who are you to ruin their holiday"??

My husband (SSI Instructor Trainer) used to famously start his dive briefing at Crystal Bay with "This is Crystal Bay, people die here" in an attempt to get divers to listen, follow their dive guide and the briefing closely, and be willing and able to self-rescue if the sh1t hits the fan.

Diving in Bali is NOT easy; many holiday divers will follow their dive guides like sheep, are not interested in dive planning, do not carry a dive computer, no safety equipment, and some are completely unable to kick efficiently. If the current hits and they become seperated, it doesn't bear thinking of the results.

I am watching the news closely, and am in touch with my diving chums in Bali, wishing for the best news for this group.

---------- Post added February 17th, 2014 at 02:33 PM ----------

Just found this from a friend in Bali who has been helping with the search, sorry for the bad English, but I'm sure you will get the idea of what he is trying to get across:

ITS MIRACLE.. the Rescue Team has Found 5 survive divers around Nusa Penida:
here is the chronology :

At 4 pm this afternoon after a search to all around the Island.. one of the Boat who involved in the Rescue " Bari Sakana" got a waving hand from the cliff BANK at South Part of Nusa Penida Island the Location is about 300 m further east of Manta Point" (The Divers who been dive with me knows this site very well) " and the team found there 4 people was hanging on it....
the crew from the boat informing all the Rescue team that they found a people who survive, then ask for help to main base in Sanur. then another $ boat heading to Manta Point to give help for the Evacuation. one of the Heli also there to give a air controll.

Evacuation :
The Rescue team gathering together at the location to plan the evacuation due the waves so big was about 3 meters high.. and breaking the cliff with their power. 4 rescue jump to water.. to give help to the victim..unfortunately there is to big waves to reach it... then one of the rescue team who is in the Heli use their root to drop down him self to get a support and jump right next to victim... then one by one the diver given a life jacket to jump back to water..take a time cause they been thrauma after their had the experienced...finally one by one could evacuated to the boat and use about 300 meters line with 4 people giving hands...all of them still counciuos and still could in discussion..
one other diver found about 100 meters next clift who are in suffer condition..tired..exausted, and nearly ancounsious.. but she in the better position..so the Heli could give help..then directcly send to HOspital in Denpasar.
another 4 diver who are in the boat reach Sanur around 8 pm..right away take to Hospital for further threatment..

Story from Divers who survive :

they were drifting with the currets at Mangrove Point at Nusa Lembongan..and notice the Currents was very strong..then they decide to do a group ascend.. then shortly they found them self away from the reef..and kept drifted away from. cause that time the storm and limited visibility..they been drifting to open sea..and notice only 6 of them in the group..at the night what they do..like what they said..is just follow the currents then after one full day they been in the currents ..they fush to south part of Nusa Penida island and notice they close to Mnata Point... but that time the wave was so rough....

On saturday all of them fight for survive and helping each other to reach the cliff 4 of them could climb the Bank in mean time another 2 still fight with the waves who are still in water try to helping each other to reach the cliff..one of them reached it..but other one was taken away by waves..
So THE Rescue team only found 5 divers alives.

THANKS GOD..YOU listen our pray..

we..are the Rescue team will be back tomorrow morning to do further search..since we had the story from the Survived divers.
 
.....
 
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Is this confirmed, it hasn't hit the press yet?
 
Amazing! And wonderful!
 
Interesting that the operator involved was Yellow Scuba, actually run and setup by Shoko Takahashi one of the Instructors that actually went missing with the group they led. It sounds like a combination of unfortunate events led to the incident..including the freaksquall/storm.. so can anyone actually confirm exactly that all divers have been found?

Five Japanese scuba divers found alive off Bali coast | World news | theguardian.com
 
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