Seven divers who had been reported missing off Okinawa have been found alive with no injuries after being rescued by the coast guard.
At around 11:50 a.m., a diving boat instructor reported that seven divers were missing on the north side of a coral reef — a popular diving spot — off the west coast of Okinawa’s Itoman city. Six of the divers were spotted at around 1:55 p.m. and lifted out of the water by a coast guard helicopter crew within an hour, NHK reported. The seventh diver was found at about 2:45 p.m.
Of the group, four men and three women, two were instructors while five others were guests, NHK reported.
The Japan Coast Guard Headquarters had dispatched helicopters and patrol vessels to search for the divers.
They were performing a type of diving activity called “drift diving,” the coast guard said.
Drift diving is done by drifting with a mild to heavy current, and a “signal float” is released from underwater when a diver is ready to surface.
In the incident, staff aboard the boat found the signal float and headed for it, but the seven divers could not be located, with the rope extending from the signal float having been cut midway, NHK said.
Information from Kyodo added