Diver Left Adrift in Maldives: Official Inquiry and Right of Reply Issued

Diver left adrift in Maldives

An experienced Chinese diver left adrift in Maldives for roughly 40 minutes off a Maldivian resort dive before being rescued by a local fishing boat, and the hotel linked to the excursion reportedly declined to apologize.

The primary account comes from South China Morning Post and has been echoed by other outlets (NDTV, The Indian Express, The Scuba News). The dive was booked via Plumeria Diving & Watersports Centre; reports point to procedural and equipment concerns, but official findings have not been released.

Scuba Insider has initiated a formal request to local investigative authorities and the dive operator and will publish any statements verbatim, while directing readers to a prevention-focused Explainer.

Quick Facts

Location	Thinadhoo Island in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives
Date of incident	September 27, 2025
Primary source	South China Morning Post (SCMP)
Amplified by	NDTV, The Indian Express, The Scuba News.
Right of Reply	Sent to Plumeria Diving & Watersports Centre on Oct 1, 2025, 12:41 (PST) — response pending. (Correspondence on file.)
Gov’t inquiry	Request for status/statistics sent to Maldives Ministry of Tourism on Oct 1, 2025, 12:46 (PST) — response pending. (Correspondence on file.)
Standards context	2024 Maldives watersports/excursion safety standards (briefings, compliant equipment, designated zones, life jackets for non-swimmers)

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What’s confirmed

The SCMP reports that diver Xu Man, rescue certified, with nine years of experience, became separated from her dive boat and drifted for ~40 minutes before being rescued by a local fishing vessel. The hotel connected to the excursion declined to apologize and only offered a reimbursement of approximately $20 USD of the full price. Follow-on coverage from NDTV and The Indian Express reiterates these core details and attributes them to SCMP.

What’s alleged vs. still unverified

Syndicated reports describe equipment issues and procedural lapses by the boat operation personnel, e.g., continuing the dive despite regulator trouble (second-stage primary), and a failure by an in-the-water diver operation representative to signal (DSMB) their dive boat promptly. These allegations stem from the SCMP; no official investigative findings have been released at the time of this press. Additionally, it has been reported that the hotel, which initially booked the dive, has been removed from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), but it quickly reappeared under a new name.

Right of reply & oversight

We sent a Right of Reply to Plumeria Diving & Watersports Centre (Oct 1, 2025, 12:41 PST) and requested an investigation status + 5-year incident statistics from the Maldives Ministry of Tourism (Oct 1, 2025, 12:46 PST). We will publish any responses in full. For context, the Maldives’ late-2024 safety standards require participant briefings, compliant equipment, designated zones, and the use of life jackets for non-swimmers.

Why it matters now

News virality aside, separation risk is a perennial issue on reef and drift dives. Baseline visual signaling (DSMB ~6 ft, whistle, mirror) remains widely recommended by Diver Alert Network; many travelers, myself included, now add Nautilus’ Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Digital Selective Calling (DSC) beacons or satellite distress/messaging Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) such as the Garmin inReach. See our article “Left at Sea: Stories of Divers Adrift & How Not to Become One,” August 2025, which discusses gear, training, and survival guidance.

More to follow

As of October 2, 2025, our Right of Reply to Plumeria Diving & Watersports Centre and our inquiry to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism remain pending. We’ll update this page with any official statements verbatim the moment they arrive. In the meantime, travelers can turn today’s news into practical safety: review our article “Left at Sea: Stories of Divers Adrift & How Not to Become One,” August 2025, which discusses gear, training, and survival guidance. If you witnessed this incident or have first-hand information, please contact admin@scubainsider.pro or leave a comment below. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss the follow-up.

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References

1. Yang, Y. (2025, September 27). China diver drifts 40 minutes after being forgotten; Maldives hotel declines to apologise. South China Morning Post. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326175/china-diver-drifts-40-minutes-after-being-forgotten-maldives-hotel-declines-apologise

2. Chinese diver stranded in sea for 40 minutes, hotel refuses to apologise. (2025, September 27). NDTV. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinese-diver-stranded-in-sea-for-40-minutes-hotel-refuses-to-apologise-9357001

3. ‘Terrible feeling’: Chinese diver stranded for 40 minutes after instructor forgets her in Maldives sea; no apology from hotel. (2025, September 29). The Indian Express. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/chinese-diver-stranded-for-40-minutes-after-instructor-forgets-her-in-maldives-sea-no-apology-from-hotel-10278604/

4. Chinese diver drifts for 40 minutes after being left behind in Maldives. (2025, September 29). The Scuba News. Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://www.thescubanews.com/2025/09/29/chinese-diver-drifts-for-40-minutes-after-being-left-behind-in-maldives/

5. Republic of Maldives, Ministry of Tourism. (2024, November 21). Safety standard for tourist water sports and water-related excursion operators (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2025, from https://www.tourism.gov.mv/dms/attachment/4561d11aef91189fc781a64d2e8763b0.pdf

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