SIKKA, Indonesia — An Austrian diver was found alive by local fishermen on Sunday afternoon after going missing during a dive off the coast of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, while three other divers remained unaccounted for.
Patricia Retter, 42, was found at around 4:30 p.m. in waters between Babi Island and Nangahale, near Maumere, after a search was launched following a diving incident near Panga Batang Island on October 4.
She was taken to Nangahale for further medical attention, according to the Maumere Search and Rescue Office.
“The victim was then taken to Nangahale for further treatment. With one victim found, there are still three others currently being searched for,” Maumere Search and Rescue Office chief Fathur Rahman said.
The three people still missing are Dervla Mulligan, 28, an Irish woman; Darragh Mc Kiernan, 27, an Irish man; and Frederik Horipun, 39, an Indonesian dive guide from Maumere.
Authorities said the incident began at around 10 a.m. when six people — four foreign nationals and two Indonesian guides — went diving in waters around Panga Batang Island.
The divers were divided into two groups, each accompanied by a guide. Strong currents were reported in the area during the dive.
One group was able to return safely to the surface, while the second group failed to return as expected. Retter, who was part of the missing group, was later found alive by fishermen.
The Maumere Search and Rescue Office received a report about the missing divers at around 2:10 p.m. and deployed a joint SAR team to the area.
Search efforts continued into the evening, with rescuers conducting surface sweeps using a rescue boat. A thermal drone was also deployed to assist teams in monitoring the surrounding waters.
“We continue to optimize all available personnel and equipment in this search operation. We hope the three people still missing can be found soon,” Fathur said.
Authorities had initially released conflicting information regarding the identities of those involved in the incident, but later clarified the list of people still missing.
The search operation remained ongoing as of Sunday evening.
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