Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew expressed serious concern over the latest drowning incident at Mamutik Island.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, involved a Chinese male tourist participating in a Discover Scuba Dive activity.
In a statement Tuesday, Liew said the activity took place in a designated recreational zone for snorkelling and swimming.
Beach lifeguards supervised from the shore while dive masters led underwater activities.
She said on the day of the incident, eight participants were initially led by three dive masters.
When one participant experienced difficulties and was brought ashore by a dive master, seven participants remained underwater with only two dive masters.
Liew noted that sea conditions were murky due to rough waves and rain. At the conclusion of the dive, only six participants and two dive masters returned to the beach.
The missing participant was later found at the dive site, given emergency care and rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but unfortunately passed away at 4.10pm.
“The responsibility of ensuring safety during tourism activities must always be given priority.
In this case, we will probe into how the victim was unnoticed until everyone returned to the beach.
“Under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS), together with Sabah Parks, we will continue to ensure safety measures are in place and to remind all operators not to turn a blind eye to the task of assuming safety,” she said.
Liew said she would also call for an engagement session between tourism stakeholders, Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Sabah Parks.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) will continue to conduct more vigorous checks on safety compliance by all tour operators.
Liew made it clear that lifeguards are on duty at islands under the Sabah Parks purview while the safety of divers is under the supervision and responsibility of dive masters.
“My ministry places utmost concern on all safety issues and will continue to ensure all relevant authorities play their roles, respectively, in safeguarding everyone’s safety,” she added.
She said trained dive masters are responsible for the safety of novice scuba divers.
She also identified areas for improvement, including the number and capacity of dive masters, as well as participants’ diving and swimming competency and discipline.
Liew assured that the Ministry will conduct a thorough investigation of the tragedy, prioritising tourist safety. Meetings with relevant authorities and stakeholders are scheduled for this week to investigate the accident’s cause.
This incident is the latest in a series involving Chinese tourists in Sabah. Previous cases include a drowning at Mengalum Snorkelling Point in May and another at Sapi Island in March. In 2022 and 2023, at least five deaths and 19 injuries involving Chinese tourists were reported.
