THE Kota Tinggi magistrates’ court yesterday imposed a RM5,000 fine against a resort and passenger boat company responsible for four foreign divers going missing in April.

Mersing Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Maritime Zone director Commander Khairul Nizam Misran said magistrate Rashidah Baharom meted out the sentence against Winter Snow Sdn Bhd, represented by a 61-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to operating without sufficient manpower.

The company representative paid the fine.

“On April 6, four foreign divers were reported missing while conducting diving training in the waters off Pulau Tokong Sanggol, some nine nautical miles off Tanjung Leman, Mersing. Three of them were found, while a teenage male diver is still missing,” he said in a statement today.

Khairul said investigations found that during the incident, the boat was not manned with sufficient crew as required by the port officer under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952. 

“The company’s representative pleaded guilty to committing an offence under rule 12 of the Boats Rules 1953,” he added.

Khairul reminded all resort and boat operators to comply with the stipulated laws and regulations before carrying out water recreational activities to prevent any accidents at sea, including the loss of life.

Three divers – Kristine Grodem, 35, from Norway, British Adrian Peter Chesters, 46 and Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, a French were found safe while Adrian’s son Nathan Renze Chesters, 14, died. – Bernama, June 24, 2022.