Investigations are underway in the Maldives after a Chinese dive instructor alleged he was almost killed by another diver during an altercation underwater. The incident took place on 28 October at the KudaRah Thila dive site and was captured on video, which is now circulating online.
Altercation Underwater
The off-duty instructor, Xiao Du, was involved in a confrontation with another diver who tried to remove his dive mask and regulator while 18 metres underwater. Du, who was diving from a liveaboard at the South Ari Atoll site, said the dive site was overcrowded when guests from another liveaboard, The Maldives Legend Fleet, approached him.
Du told local media that a man suddenly approached him from below and pushed him, making hand gestures. While the man swam away, he struck Du with his fins. When Du pushed the man's fins away, a second diver approached, attempting to grab his arm and remove his regulator. A third man then reportedly joined the altercation as tensions escalated.
Three Against One
“They were all around me,” Du told the Yangtze Evening News. Du, who has been diving since 2019, explained how he could only “exercise restraint”, using his training as an instructor to escape. Other divers eventually intervened to calm the situation.
In a second video taken after Du emerged from the water, he confronted the men again from his boat, saying, “You guys came to me OK. I didn't go to you guys.” Du accused the men of ganging up on him and threatening his life. “You grab me, you try to grab my mouth (piece),” he said, “You try to kill me underwater, three of you, three people against myself, that's very rude!”
Investigation and Response
Du later told Chinese media that the experience had disturbed him. Following the incident, owners of the Maldives Legend fleet issued a statement acknowledging an incident involving guests from one of its liveaboards and a guide from another named Infinity X.
Emphasising that safety is of the utmost importance, Maldives Legend confirmed it has taken statements from the relevant guests and handed the matter over to authorities. The National Boating Association of the Maldives (NBAM) has called for an investigation, with at least one dive guide having already been suspended.
