PEMBA ISLAND, Zanzibar, Tanzania (18 July 2005) -- Four Danish tourists and their Canadian dive instructor are missing after a scuba diving lesson off the east African islands of Zanzibar, police and a divers' club confirmed on Monday. The five left with another group for a scuba diving course on Saturday afternoon and were last seen under water near Pemba Island, said a statement by Swahili Divers, the company contracted by the four. Police had earlier said the group went missing on Friday. "At approximately 1504 EAT (1204 GMT) on Saturday, two groups of divers commenced a dive off Misali Island. The two groups last saw each other underwater at a depth of 12 meters, 20 minutes into the dive," the statement said. However, only one group returned to the dive boat. An emergency assistance response was called after an hour of searching for the five above water. "At dusk on Sunday, some equipment that had clearly been consciously discarded was found in the North of Pemba. Unconfirmed sightings of other equipment seen by the aircraft were also considered. This gave many clues as to the whereabouts of our divers," Swahili Divers said. Boats and planes owned by private companies and individuals are carrying out the search. | | PADI scuba diving instructor Neil Clark who went missing with four Danish tourists participating in a PADI Gold Palm scuba certification course at Swahili Divers. Pemba, a remote and under-resourced marine area, has no official rescue body, the club said. Pemba and Unguja, the twin islands that make up Tanzania's famous Zanzibar region, are a magnet for tourists seeking white sand beaches, unspoiled coral reefs and a rich culture. |
