Four divers who became separated from their group in strong currents off the Indonesian island of Flores have all been found alive, bringing a two-day search and rescue operation to a successful conclusion.
The incident began on Sunday, October 4, when six people, including four international visitors and two Indonesian dive guides, entered the water around Panga Batang Island in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
According to reports citing Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, Basarnas, the divers were operating in two groups, each accompanied by a local guide.
Conditions in the area reportedly included strong currents. One group, consisting of an Indonesian guide and a Dutch diver, returned safely, while the second group, consisting of three visiting divers and an Indonesian guide, failed to return as expected.
The Maumere Search and Rescue Office received the alert at approximately 2:10pm local time and launched a joint search operation.
Austrian Diver Found By Fishermen
The first major breakthrough came later on Sunday when 42-year-old Austrian diver Patricia Retter was found alive by local fishermen.
Retter was located at approximately 4:30pm in waters between Babi Island and Nangahale, according to ANTARA News.
She was taken to Nangahale for further attention, but three members of the group remained missing overnight.
They were identified as Irish divers Dervla Mulligan, 28, and Darragh Mc Kiernan, 27, together with Indonesian dive guide Frederik Horimpun, 39.
Search teams continued the operation using surface vessels and other resources before resuming a wider effort on Monday morning.
Missing Divers Found Alive
The search ended successfully on Monday, October 5.
According to RRI, citing the Maumere SAR team, the two Irish divers were located at approximately 9:00am, around 3.17 nautical miles from the original incident location.
Reports from Detik Bali said Mulligan and Mc Kiernan were found floating at the surface using their diving equipment after spending the night at sea.
Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, said the pair were in good condition but exhausted.
Just five minutes later, Indonesian police vessel KP Sukur located Horimpun approximately 4.21 nautical miles from the original incident site.
He too was reported to be alive and well.
With all of the missing divers accounted for, authorities formally brought the search and rescue operation to an end.
Search Involved Multiple Agencies And Local Fishermen
Monday’s search involved several vessels, including the Basarnas rescue ship KN SAR Puntadewa 250, a police speedboat, a Sea Rider and a Maumere SAR rubber boat.
Personnel from Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy, police and other agencies were involved, while local fishermen also played an important role in the operation, including the initial recovery of Retter on Sunday.
The incident highlights the potential consequences of strong currents around Indonesia’s extensive island diving regions, where divers who become separated can quickly move considerable distances from their original surfacing point.
In this case, however, an overnight search ended with an exceptionally positive outcome: every member of the original six-person diving group was confirmed safe.
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