(Updated 01/02/25)
KOROR, Palau — Nine divers from China, three women and five men, were rescued a day after they went missing while diving at Peleliu Corner on Dec. 26. Previous report from authorities reported eight divers, including a dive guide, but according to dive operator, they were nine divers, including dive guide. They were found nearly 30 miles north of their dive site near the Mutiaur reef system, northwest of Peleliu Corner.
The divers failed to surface at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, prompting an extensive search involving private tour operators, Koror and Peleliu state rangers, and the Division of Marine Law Enforcement (DMLE).
“We deployed PSS Remeliik II patrol boat, two smaller rescue boats—Kabekl and Bul—as well as PMA aircraft,” said DMLE Chief Temedik Ngireblekuu. “Based on previous dive incidents at the same site, we initially focused the search to the south, between Angaur and the southwest islands.”
Ngireblekuu emphasized the challenges of the search, noting the strong currents at Peleliu Corner. “In the last incident, the divers were found south between Angaur and the southwest island within hours, which shows how fast the current can be. At this rate, the smaller rescue boats can’t keep up, so we deployed the PSS Remeliik patrol boat,” he said.
Despite the initial focus to the south, the search shifted north based on U.S. Coast Guard drift modeling, which helped pinpoint the likely location of the missing divers.
“This is the first time that the divers were found north instead of south,” Ngireblekuu noted, highlighting the unusual outcome.
Jerome Sakurai, a private boat operator involved in the search, was the first to spot the group. He explained that four private boats were part of the search party and coordinated their efforts by heading north in parallel. “We were driving northward in parallel when I spotted a safety sausage, signaling the divers’ location,” Sakurai told Island Times. He said they found the divers a little after 2 pm on Friday, December 27, 2024.
Sakurai said the divers appeared well when they were found and were brought to the Kemba dock at Malakal, Koror. From there, ambulances transported them to the national hospital for medical evaluations. All eight divers were declared in good health and released shortly after.
Peleliu Corner, renowned for its vibrant underwater life, is an advanced diving site due to its strong currents. The area has seen several incidents where divers have been swept away. In 2020, three Japanese divers were carried off by the currents but were rescued within two hours. The most tragic incident occurred in 1994 when six Japanese divers failed to surface; three were found dead, and the other three were never recovered.
Ngireblekuu credited enhanced coordination, training, and collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard for the successful outcome in this latest incident. “Despite the danger, improved response times and joint efforts have prevented the loss of lives,” he said. (By: L.N. Reklai)