Hope for dad and teen son missing after 50ft sea dive
THERE is a “strong chance” that a British man and his teenage son missing after a diving adventure in Malaysia will be found alive, a local police chief said last night.
Adrian Chesters, 46, and his son Nathen, 14, were among a group diving in 50ft of water on Wednesday near an island 10 miles off the town of Mersing in southern Johor state.
Their Norwegian diving instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, was pulled from the sea by a tug boat and police said three others “managed to surface”.
A third missing diver was named as Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, from France.
Around 90 searchers resumed their search for Mr Chesters, Nathen and Alexia yesterday, using two planes and 18 boats.
District police chief Cyril Nuing said of the British pair: “With their equipment, their full gear and their experience, we believe there is a strong chance of finding them alive.”
Ms Grodem said that she was training the group to help them to qualify for advanced diving licences.
After her tug boat rescue she was airlifted to hospital but was not thought to be seriously injured.
The alarm was raised about an hour after the group dive began.
Ms Grodem became separated from the group, most likely because of strong currents and rough water.
Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat said that the group’s dive boat skipper had tested positive for drugs.
He said that the man had been
detained pending an official investigation. It is thought that British Foreign Office officials are in contact with the diving resort and have offered consular assistance to the Chesters family.