Dive trip gone wrong in China’s Hainan: Tourists stranded 2 hours at sea before 2-hour swim to shore
A group of four - three domestic tourists and their diving instructor - found themselves stranded at sea after their boat never showed up. Authorities have fined the instructor for lacking proper diving qualifications, while two companies involved in the case also received fines.
A person freedives in the sea in this stock photo. (Photo: iStock/Tamer Gunal)
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SINGAPORE: A local diving instructor based in China’s island province of Hainan has been fined 80,000 yuan (US$11,006) in a viral case where she and three domestic tourists were left stranded at sea on a diving trip and had to make a two-hour swim back to shore.
Investigations found that the instructor lacked the proper qualifications. Local officials have ordered her to stop offering diving classes, while also fining two companies involved in the case.
The incident has sparked discussion on Chinese social media, with many expressing shock that such a thing could happen while others took aim at the penalties meted out, criticising them as insufficient.
RECOUNTING THE INCIDENT
State-run China National Radio (CNR) reported on Monday (Jun 25) that the harrowing incident happened on Jun 9 in Wanning, a city located along the southeast coast of Hainan.
A tourist from Zhejiang, surnamed Jin, told CNR he responded to an advertisement by a diving coach offering a freediving course. The coach, surnamed Meng, said students would have to dive to a depth of 12 m as part of the certification test.
After a training session at a hotel swimming pool, Mr Jin, along with two other tourists and Ms Meng, boarded a boat and headed to the waters near Zhouzai island - off the coast of Wanning - for the test. There were also other passengers who planned to go snorkelling.
According to Mr Jin, the diving spot was decided on the day itself. Upon reaching the site, the group realised the waters were too shallow for diving, but adequate for snorkelling.
“The coach (Ms Meng) asked the boat’s captain if there was anyone who could bring us somewhere deeper, and that we would return within two hours. The captain agreed,” Mr Jin said. They then got on a banana boat, and a crew member towed them to the new dive site via a motorboat.
According to the CNR report, the group then proceeded with their diving test, which took about two hours. After completion, they waited to be picked up, but eventually realised something was wrong.
“I felt something was not right,” said Mr Jin. “We informed the captain when we disembarked from the boat … but no one showed up.”
At that moment, the tourists wanted to swim towards shore as the sun had yet to set. But the diving coach Ms Meng was certain someone would pick them up and asked the group to wait a little while more.
“She said (the boat crew) got off work at 5pm, they wouldn’t have forgotten us. We finished our diving test before 4pm, and we waited until 6.15pm,” said Mr Jin. “We waited two hours and no one came to pick us up.”
The group eventually began swimming back to shore, reaching dry land at about 8pm, according to CNR.
Mr Jin’s ordeal swiftly went viral on Chinese social media, with many people expressing shock that such an incident could happen. One Weibo user described the incident as “terrifying”, in a comment that drew close to 1,300 likes.
“Not a single communication device, nor a boat to wait (for you) when you bring someone out to dive in the sea. What if something happens? How are you supposed to get help?” wrote another user.
INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
As the incident made the rounds online, local officials responded, saying they had launched investigations. On Tuesday (Jun 25) night, the Wanning city government published a detailed report on its official WeChat account.
According to the authorities, Ms Meng was only a “social sports instructor” and not a qualified diving instructor as she had claimed to be. Mr Jin and the two other tourists had each paid 3,480 yuan for her services.
The report stated that Ms Meng had contacted a company to assist her in getting a boat out to sea - with a charter fee of 1,150 yuan and a 300 yuan deposit.
After agreeing on the price and duration, the company’s manager engaged another firm, a sailing club, to take a vessel out to sea on Jun 9.
On the day of the incident, Ms Meng’s group boarded the vessel with six other tourists to the waters near Zhouzai island.
The report stated that the vessel’s captain, surnamed Wang, arranged for a crew member to transport Ms Meng’s group to a spot 600 m away for their diving test. Ms Meng told the crew member that they would take about one and a half hours, and it was agreed the boat would return to pick them up.
Mr Wang believed the diving expedition would take longer than Ms Meng estimated, and decided to transport another batch of tourists to Zhouzai island before picking her group up.
As a result, no boat was on hand to pick up Ms Meng and the three tourists when they finished their diving test at around 4pm.
“With no phones and no way to contact anyone, the four divers (eventually) began swimming towards the shore without waiting for the vessel to pick them up - each pulling an emergency floating ring,” the report stated.
The vessel returned to the waters near Zhouzai island close to 4.30pm. A crew member was sent to pick up Ms Meng and the tourists but was unable to locate them.
After a search, the crew member returned to the boat at 5.20pm and informed Mr Wang that the group was missing. They continued to search the area for another 10 minutes.
According to the report, Ms Meng claimed she had seen the vessel during her swim back to shore but was unable to make contact due to the sea conditions.
Local police were notified of the incident at about 6.45pm. A total of 97 rescue workers and four rescue vessels were dispatched in the search.
Meanwhile, Ms Meng and the three tourists reached the coast at about 8pm. They managed to borrow a phone to contact the authorities and were taken to the hospital. The local government said the group were discharged the next day after their conditions were deemed stable.
ORDERED TO STOP ACTIVITIES
Local authorities have meted out a 100,000 yuan fine to the company that assisted Ms Meng in getting a boat out to sea. The firm has also been ordered to cease all diving activities.
The sailing club that was subsequently engaged by this company has been fined 1,000 yuan for failing to report the trip out to sea as required by law. Officials say they intend to impose a 100,000 yuan fine on top of this, without specifying the reason.
As for Ms Meng, she has been fined 80,000 yuan, while the money she received from the three tourists for the diving course has been confiscated. She has also been ordered to stop offering diving courses.
Chinese netizens have taken aim at the punishments handed out, with many criticising them as inadequate.
“(Just a fine) of this much money? This is murder!,” went one remark in the comments section of Sina News’ account on Weibo.
“Attempted murder and the punishment is a 100,000 yuan fine, LOL,” another comment read.
The Wanning city government said the incident had exposed “problems”, and that it will “strengthen” the supervision of diving and other water-related business ventures. It will also severely crack down on all kinds of “illegal solicitation” online and offline, and bar unlicensed operations.
