Chinese Diver Abandoned at Sea for 40 Minutes: Hotel Denies Responsibility for Near-Fatal Maldives Diving Incident

Warning signs appeared before the dive even began.

A Chinese female diver was abandoned at sea during a Maldives diving excursion, with the responsible hotel refusing to accept accountability or offer an apology. Xu Man, an experienced Chinese diver with nine years of certification, endured a harrowing survival situation on September 1 when defective equipment and an unprofessional instructor left her drifting in open water for 40 terrifying minutes.

South China Morning Post reported that Ms. Xu and her companion Zhang Li had booked a diving package through Plumeria Diving and Watersports Centre, a highly recommended resort facility. Issues emerged immediately when Ms. Zhang discovered her oxygen tank had a malfunctioning primary regulator—a crucial safety component. Rather than replacing the defective equipment, the instructor simply suggested using the backup regulator, violating international diving safety protocols.

During the underwater excursion, the instructor failed to deploy the proper signaling device necessary for boats to locate divers. Instead, he attempted to wave his hand to attract attention from the dive boat, which was positioned hundreds of meters away.

Powerful underwater currents pushed the diving group far from their intended location, repeatedly submerging Ms. Xu beneath the water's surface.

"We had drifted so far that the dive boat and even nearby islands disappeared from view. As the drift continued, I became terrified that we might perish at sea," she recounted.

In a quick-thinking survival decision, Ms. Xu suggested attaching the signaling device to her selfie stick to enhance visibility. Fortunately, a passing fishing vessel spotted this improvised signal and rescued the group at 2:16 pm local time, a full 40 minutes after they had entered the water.

After reporting the dangerous incident to hotel management, Ms. Xu received no apology—only a $20 discount—while her friend Ms. Zhang was charged the full price. When Ms. Xu shared her experience on Chinese social media platforms, it generated widespread public outrage.

She subsequently filed formal complaints with Maldivian tourism authorities and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, though no resolution has been achieved. The hotel was temporarily removed from booking platforms but has since reappeared under a different name.

"My greatest concern is the hotel's apparent failure to recognize the seriousness of this incident. Without proper acknowledgment, other tourists could face similar life-threatening situations," Ms. Xu warned.