A Chinese diver has died following a deep dive incident near Kakaban Island in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province. The diver, identified as 30-year-old Zhang Xiaohan, was recovered by a search and rescue team on Saturday afternoon.
According to Endrow Sasmita, an official from the Balikpapan SAR office, Zhang’s body was located at a depth of 78 metres along the Kelapa Dua dive trail around 2:55 p.m. The search operation concluded just under an hour later, at 3:45 p.m., following the successful evacuation of the body to the Green Nirvana Jetty. From there, it was transported to Abdul Rivai General Hospital in Tanjung Redeb for further examination.
Zhang had been diving with a tour group on the morning of May 2nd when the incident occurred. The group had reportedly completed their dive at 9 a.m., but Zhang descended again to recover a camera he had dropped during ascent. When he failed to resurface, the group alerted authorities, prompting a multi-agency search effort.
“The underwater terrain made the search extremely difficult,” Sasmita said. “Thankfully, with coordinated support from various teams, we were able to locate and recover the victim.”
The operation involved personnel from multiple SAR units, including those from Balikpapan and Berau, as well as the local police, military, and volunteer divers.
Kakaban Island, part of the Derawan Archipelago, is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and attracts divers from around the world. This incident serves as a somber reminder of the risks involved in diving beyond recreational depths.
Source: Antara News Agency
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