Chinese Diver Drifts for 40 Minutes After Being Left Behind in Maldives

A Chinese diver was left drifting in the Maldives for about 40 minutes after being separated from her dive boat during a recreational dive arranged through a local resort. The hotel connected to the excursion has declined to issue an apology, instead offering a partial refund, a response that has drawn sharp criticism.

The diver, Xu Man, an experienced rescue diver with nearly a decade of training, was diving with her friend Zhang Li on September 1. Their package was booked through Plumeria Diving and Watersports Centre. Before entering the water, Zhang’s tank suffered a regulator issue. According to reports from NDTV, rather than replacing the equipment, the instructor advised her to continue with a backup regulator.

Once underwater, currents carried the group away from their entry point. The dive boat was positioned several hundred metres away, and no surface-signalling device was immediately deployed. Xu later recounted that she lost sight of the boat and surrounding landmarks, at times sinking beneath the surface before re-emerging.

In a bid to improve visibility, Xu improvised by attaching an SMB to her selfie stick. A passing fishing vessel spotted the signal and rescued the group at around 14:16 local time, approximately 40 minutes after the dive began, according to the South China Morning Post.

Xu has since filed complaints with Maldivian tourism regulators and with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. The resort, however, has refused to apologise and instead offered a small discount. It was briefly delisted from some booking platforms before reappearing under a different name.

The incident has raised concerns among divers about oversight, safety protocols, and accountability in one of the world’s most popular scuba destinations.