Chinese Tourist’s Final Dive Captured on GoPro Before Fatal Incident
Berau, East Kalimantan. A 30-year-old Chinese tourist who went missing while diving off Kakaban Island in East Kalimantan has been found dead, authorities said Saturday.
The victim, identified as Zhang Xiao Han, was reported missing after she dove into the sea to retrieve her GoPro camera, which had fallen into the water following a recreational diving trip near the island.
Her body was recovered from a depth of 87 meters (285 feet) below the surface, said Endrow Sasmita, operations chief at Basarnas Balikpapan, the local search and rescue agency.
"A team of divers from the joint SAR unit was deployed and managed to locate the victim at a depth of 87 meters, but initial attempts to retrieve her were unsuccessful due to the extreme depth," Endrow told reporters after leading the recovery effort.
Footage from the victim’s GoPro, which captured her final moments struggling against a strong underwater current, helped authorities in the search. It was reportedly the last video she recorded before disappearing.
The joint SAR team --comprising personnel from Basarnas, local disaster agencies, and the military police-- dispatched at least three divers to comb the waters around Kakaban Island. After repeated dive attempts, Zhang’s body was finally brought to the surface at 2:55 p.m. local time.
She was found near the Kelapa Dua dive route, one of the popular diving spots in the area, Endrow added.
Her body was later transported via Basarnas speedboat to Tanjung Batu Port in Berau Regency and then taken to a local hospital for further examination and identification.
Authorities have not provided additional details pending notification of the victim's family and coordination with Chinese consular officials.
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