A 37-year-old Chinese tourist drowned during a diving expedition at Sipadan Island in Semporna, Sabah, after jumping into the sea without his guide’s permission.
Fatal Diving Incident at Popular Sabah Tourist Destination
The incident occurred on 19 May 2025 at approximately 10:45 AM when the victim, who was accompanied by his wife, jumped from the boat without waiting for instructions from the diving guide.
Semporna police chief Mohd Sabri Zainol confirmed that authorities received a report about the death at 6:45 PM on the same day.
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“The call was from one of the dive masters, who informed us that he and four other guides had brought with them a total of eight divers of various nationalities to the dive site,” he said in a statement.
According to reports, the boatman noticed the tourist panicking underwater after jumping in and immediately alerted the crew.
This prompted an emergency search and rescue operation by the diving team.
The dive team located the victim at a depth of approximately 25 meters and quickly brought him to the surface.
Once on the boat, emergency resuscitation was performed on the unconscious tourist.
“The victim remained unconscious, was barely breathing and vomited a few times,” Mr Mohd Sabri added.
Police Investigation and Medical Response Following Diving Tragedy
The unconscious diver was initially transported to Semporna Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Tawau Hospital.
Sadly, the tourist was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tawau Hospital.
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Police have classified the case as sudden death, with a post-mortem scheduled for 20 May 2025 at 2:00 PM.
Mr Mohd Sabri called for anyone with additional information about the incident to assist with the investigation.
Those with information can contact Assistant Superintendent Mohammad Ali Amat at 013-2120852 or visit any police station.
The diving excursion, which included tourists of various nationalities, was supervised by five guides when the fatal incident occurred.
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