The nine individuals were discovered by a rescue boat after floating for 27 hours while diving in Palau on December 26. Photo: CCTV News

Nine Chinese individuals, including seven tourists and two diving instructors, went missing while diving in Palau on December 26. During their time waiting for rescue in the water, they were surrounded by seven sharks, and drank rainwater to stay hydrated. After floating for approximately 27 hours, all nine were rescued.

Experienced diving instructor Liu Xin and another diving guide took seven Chinese tourists to dive on December 26 around 9:30 am. As the dive was coming to an end, Liu sent a signal to the surface. Typically, after seeing the signal, the captain would slowly maneuver the boat to follow the divers, allowing them to board once they floated off. However, when they surfaced, they could not locate the boat.

They could only float in the sea for nearly three hours, believing that someone would come to rescue them. However, the ocean current changed direction, and they were swept by currents into an area between two islands.

At that point, a new threat emerged. The underwater terrain shifted, and the most physically fit diver among the nine said that he felt as if he had stepped on something. Liu looked down and noticed that a bull shark was circling around his feet, along with six other sharks nearby.

Liu swiftly assembled everyone to make themselves appear larger as most wild animals typically target creatures smaller and tend to avoid approaching larger groups.

Fortunately, with Liu and the entire team huddled together, the sharks refrained from acting aggressively, and they avoid any danger.

By evening, they had gone nearly 11 hours without food. To conserve their energy, they used their diving masks to collect rainwater. After spending too much time in the water, they started to feel cold, so they used their buoyancy devices to hold each other to stay together and preserve warmth. And, to prevent falling asleep and risking hypothermia, they took turns calling out their numbers every 30 minutes to stay alert.

After drifting in the water for about 27 hours, a rescue boat located the nine individuals.

All nine Chinese citizens who went missing while diving in Palau have been rescued and are reported to be in stable condition, the Chinese Embassy in the Federated States of Micronesia said on Friday.

Liu said that the key reasons for their safe return included the selfless assistance from fellow travelers, the favorable ocean currents that kept them in proximity to their initial location, and, most importantly, the excellent physical condition and positive attitude of the group.

"Throughout those 20-plus hours, we maintained a light-hearted atmosphere, chatting and laughing without any complaints. The experience tells that Chinese people have strong resilience and a remarkably calm mindset in the face of challenges and dangers," Liu said.


Global Times-CCTV News