News
Body of missing scuba diver found off Bali
A body of a female scuba diver found Tuesday near the Indonesian resort island of Bali has been identified as Ritsuko Miyata, one of the two remaining Japanese women who disappeared while scuba diving in the area last week, according to medical officials.
Forensic doctors identified the body as that of 59-year-old Miyata. In addition, she was recognized by her husband and son from a wedding ring on her left hand.
“The victim may have died about three days ago,” Felix Sangkalia, chief of the Disaster Victim Investigation of the Bali Police Headquarters, told reporters.
The body was found a day after the Bali rescue agency rescued five of the seven Japanese scuba divers, who went missing on Friday. The search continues for Shoko Takahashi, a 35-year-old local diving instructor who is the only member of the diving party who remains unaccounted for.
The body, wearing a wet suit, fins and a BCD, was found at 6:10 p.m. in Serangan about 20 km away from where the group went missing, Didi Hamzar, chief of the Bali Search and Rescue Agency, told a press conference.
Hamzar told a news conference earlier in the day that rescuers had received information from local people that a body was found floating in Serangan waters, south of Bali.
On Monday afternoon, rescuers found Atsumi Yoshidome, 29, Aya Morizono, 27, Emi Yamamoto, 33, Nahomi Kawasaki, 28, and Saori Furukawa, 37, in two separate rocky coastal areas of Nusa Penida, a small island southeast of Bali. The island is some 30 km from where they began their dive Friday afternoon off the tiny neighboring island of Nusa Lembongan.
Furukawa, one of the two locally based Japanese diving instructors who led the diving expedition, told Japanese consular officials that all seven of them drifted away together from the original dive site, and that they subsequently became separated.
Racing against time, rescuers are working on the assumption that the two missing divers drifted away in the same direction as the five who were rescued.
Furukawa, who was found by herself about 800 meters away from the four others, was evacuated by helicopter, while the others were later rescued by rubber dinghy.
Doctors said the five rescued women suffered minor abrasions, and to some extent sunburn, dehydration and hypothermia, but none is in serious condition.
Speaking briefly from her hospital bed, Furukawa said she felt hungry and had a headache.
“She was very tough,” said Capt. Dian Bashari, pilot of the helicopter that evacuated her. “She kept asking about the condition of her guests, trying to look out from the chopper’s window to see where they were.”
Furukawa told him she had almost managed to swim to Sanur beach on Bali, about an hour by boat from the location where the divers went missing, but the current swept her back to Nusa Penida.
Source: www.japantimes.co.jp
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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