Father watched teen be swept away to sea
A BOY of 14 who went missing on a scuba dive with his father became exhausted and drowned after being adrift for days.
Distraught Adrian Chesters told his Malaysian rescuers that son Nathen died as the youngster “was too weak and could not hang on”.
Nathen had been diving with his 46-year-old dad; Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, and the trio’s Norwegian instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, when they were allegedly abandoned at sea by their dive boat skipper on Wednesday.
The four had been in 50ft-deep water at an island off Mersing town in southern Johor state and surfaced safely an hour into their dive to find their boat had left.
Shell engineer Mr Chesters, of Sheffield, and Frenchwoman Ms Molina were found by fishermen yesterday after four days afloat.
They had drifted into Indonesian waters some 70 nautical miles from their dive spot, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said.
Ms Grodem had been rescued on Thursday by a tugboat crew and said she had been separated from the others after being caught in strong currents.
First Maritime Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said: “The search and rescue operation ended after three of the missing divers – Adrian, [Ms] Molina and Norwegian dive master Kristine Grodem – were found safe.
“Adrian informed us that Nathen had died because he became too weak and could not hang on. The victim is believed to have been swept away.”
He added he had “informed the Indonesian authorities to help locate the teenager who is believed to have died and drifted into Indonesian waters.”
Mersing district police chief Cyril Edward Nuing said that Indonesian authorities would take over the search for the teenager’s body.
Supt Nuing added: “There is a high likelihood that he is no longer in Malaysian waters based on the movement of sea currents, as well as the time and location where the other victims were found.” The boat’s skipper is said to have taken drugs and has been detained for further investigations.
Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, Johor’s police chief, said: “He tested positive for methamphetamine use when we conducted a urine test.
“The forensics team will arrive to conduct the investigation. We will also investigate if there is any issue of negligence.” The area where the group initially went missing is popular among divers and tourists, and has dozens of resorts dotted along the coast.
Resort manager Richard Wills, 29, said all four divers had stayed at his site before they set out to sea on their trip.
Ms Grodem had borrowed a phone from one of her tugboat crew rescuers to call him.
They had found her after drifting some 30 nautical miles in the waters off Tanjung Sedili in the Kota Tinggi district.
Mr Wills said: “I have been involved with the tourism industry here for more than five years and this has never happened.
“I am relieved that three divers have been found safe and are recovering. They suffered some bruises, sunburn and mild hyperthermia but are recovering well.”
Qualified tutor Ms Grodem had been instructing the other three, who were hoping to obtain their advanced diving licences.
Diving activities off Mersing were also suspended by authorities after the group went missing.
Mr Chesters had only recently moved his family to the Malaysian tourist hotspot.
He had had a stint working as the senior engineer behind Shell’s highly successful Appomattox deepwater oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
‘Nathen could not hang on’