Two divers reported missing after a dive at one of Malaysia’s most popular marine parks have been found alive following a tense search effort that lasted several hours.
Authorities in Terengganu confirmed the divers were located late Saturday night after they were earlier feared missing during a dive at Pasir Akar Marine Park near Pulau Redang, a well known diving destination on Malaysia’s east coast.
According to reporting from the Malaysian national news agency Bernama, the two men disappeared during an afternoon dive, prompting a search operation involving local authorities and dive operators.
The divers, identified as a Malaysian national and a Chinese national, were eventually located by volunteers from the local dive community. They were discovered drifting near Pulau Yu at around 9:45 pm, roughly ten nautical miles from the original dive site, according to additional details reported by Malaysian newspaper The Star.
The discovery brought a dramatic end to a search that had raised concerns across the regional dive community.
A Popular Diving Destination
Pulau Redang is one of Malaysia’s most famous dive locations and sits within a protected marine park that attracts divers from across Asia and beyond.
The island is known for its clear waters, coral reefs and frequent turtle encounters, with dive sites around the Pasir Akar area particularly popular among recreational divers.
Incidents involving missing divers in the region are rare, but currents and shifting weather conditions can sometimes separate divers from their boats if surface procedures are not carefully followed.
Search Effort Involving Dive Community
Local dive operators played a key role in locating the missing pair.
Volunteers from the Redang dive community joined authorities in scanning nearby waters, eventually spotting the divers drifting offshore.
Search and rescue responses in major dive destinations often involve close coordination between dive operators, local authorities and marine police.
While the incident ended without injuries, it highlights the importance of surface signalling equipment and careful dive planning when diving in areas where currents can change quickly.
For the dive community in Redang, the outcome could have been very different.
Instead, the story ended with relief.
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