Chinese tourist left adrift at sea in Maldives: diving mishap sparks outrage online in China
Chinese tourist left stranded during a diving excursion in Maldives, sparking widespread social media outrage
Xu Man was forced to use a selfie stick she was carrying to signal that she was in trouble.
A shocking diving incident involving a Chinese tourist left floating helplessly in open waters during a resort excursion in the Maldives has triggered an outpouring of concern across Chinese social media and news platforms.
The victim, Xu Man, a certified diver with nearly a decade of experience and recent rescue diver training, shared her harrowing experience online, prompting widespread outrage and calls for accountability from the diving center and the resort involved.
According to reports circulating on Chinese media, Xu and a friend purchased a diving package from Plumeria Diving and Watersports Center, a service promoted by many as reputable. But what began as a leisurely trip turned into a life-threatening ordeal due to a string of safety failures by the dive team.
Even before entering the water, critical safety issues emerged. One diver, Zhang Li, was reportedly given a faulty oxygen tank with a damaged primary regulator. Rather than replacing the equipment, the dive instructor instructed Zhang Li to proceed using the backup regulator, contrary to international safety standards.
During their ascent, further negligence came to light. The instructor failed to deploy the surface marker buoy (SMB), which is a crucial safety device used to signal the boat for pickup. Instead, the diver attempted to signal with a hand. The dive boat was reportedly hundreds of meters away and possibly out of sight, leaving the divers stranded.
When the instructor eventually attempted to deploy the SMB, it failed due to an air leak. As sea conditions worsened, the divers were left struggling to stay afloat, exhausted and disoriented. The group ultimately improvised by attaching the leaking SMB to a selfie stick to extend their visibility. They were finally spotted and rescued by a passing fishing boat, 40 minutes after surfacing.
Dive footage confirms the group surfaced at 1:40pm and were rescued at 2:16pm, having drifted dangerously far from the dive site with no assistance from the original dive boat.
Despite reporting the incident to the resort's management, Xu received no apology, only a USD 20 discount on the dive. Her friend was charged the full amount. Xu subsequently filed complaints with relevant Maldivian authorities and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), though she reports receiving no response to date.
What has further alarmed the public is Xu’s claim that the hotel made no attempt to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. The resort, according to Xu, was briefly removed from booking platforms but has since reappeared under a different name, raising additional concerns about accountability and regulatory oversight.
The incident, first reported by Cover News, has sparked widespread commentary online in China, with many expressing outrage over the lack of safety measures, professional negligence, and inadequate response from Maldivian authorities and tourism operators.
With tourism as one of the Maldives’ most critical economic sectors, the incident casts a harsh spotlight on diving safety standards, resort accountability, and the duty of care owed to foreign guests.
Calls are now mounting for a formal investigation and stricter enforcement of diving regulations to prevent future incidents that could not only endanger lives but also damage the Maldives’ international reputation as a safe tourist destination.
