A 65-year-old Indian tourist has died following a scuba diving incident off Pulau Tioman in Malaysia, after apparently falling back into the water while attempting to board a dive boat.
The woman, identified by Malaysian authorities as Sabiya Shiek, had been taking part in a discovery scuba diving session in the waters around Renggis on Saturday, September 12.
According to Malaysian media reports citing Rompin district police chief Supt Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi, Sabiya was diving alongside six family members, accompanied by two instructors and a divemaster.
Following the session, she reportedly told one of the instructors that she wanted to return to the boat.
Police said one of her children helped remove her diving equipment before she attempted to climb aboard. Sabiya is believed to have slipped while climbing the boat ladder and fallen back into the sea.
Dive instructors began searching for her immediately.
Approximately 15 minutes later, she was found unconscious on the sandy seabed close to the dive site.
Sabiya was subsequently taken to Tekek Health Clinic on Pulau Tioman, where she was pronounced dead by a medical officer.
Free Malaysia Today reports that police received notification of the incident from the clinic at around 10am.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital on Monday.
Authorities have not yet announced a definitive medical cause of death.
The circumstances surrounding how Sabiya came to remain underwater following the fall have also not been established publicly. Current police reporting confirms that some of her diving equipment had been removed before she attempted to board the boat, but does not provide sufficient detail to establish precisely what equipment she was still wearing when she entered the water.
The Scuba News will continue to monitor official and Malaysian media reports for further information, including the findings of the post-mortem examination.
Pulau Tioman, located off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the country’s established recreational scuba diving destinations.
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