Fish bomb kills DM, tourists - Malaysia

[DandyDon]

Two Chinese tourists, divemaster believed killed by fish bombs off Semporna - Nation | The Star Online

KOTA KINABALU: Two Chinese tourists and their local divemaster were believed to be killed by fish bombs while diving in waters off Semporna in Sabah's east coast on Friday (July 5).
Tourism operators are blaming fish bombing activities for the cause of the deaths, but police have yet to officially confirm it.
It is learnt that prior to the 5pm incident, a local Semporna divemaster had taken the two male Chinese tourists for their dive.
According to witnesses in Semporna, there were several fishing boats operated by sea gypsies near where the three divers were killed during the incident.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said they were still gathering information and trying to ascertain the cause of death.
"From some of the witnesses we spoke to, we learned that there were fishing boats near the location, but no one actually heard the fish bombs going off," he said.
He said they were also verifying the identities of the victims.
China's Deputy Consul General in Kota Kinabalu, Zhang He, confirmed that two of their nationals died in the incident.
Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) president Datuk Winston Liaw condemned fishermen using fish bombs in their operations and urged authorities to take immediate action against the offenders.
"Take action that will serve as a lesson to all. Otherwise, they will keep on doing the same thing," he said.
He also urged all professional divemasters and tourists to be alert, and not to dive close to fishermen's boats or boat propellers, which are equally dangerous.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

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[clownfishsydney]

A bit of a suspect report. Generally "fish bombs" are very small and unless you were within a few metres I doubt that they would kill you. Hurt your ears? Yes, even a hundred metres away. I have heard lots of "dynamite" blasts (as they call them dynamite fishers) when diving in Chuuk and Indonesia. Even when we were more than a kilometre away, the noise underwater was very loud.

 

[DandyDon]

A bit of a suspect report. Generally "fish bombs" are very small and unless you were within a few metres I doubt that they would kill you.

They must have been pretty close...
Fish bomb tragedy: Dead fish found amidst divers' bodies; diving masks cracked

 

[chillyinCanada]

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-c...-fish-found-amidst-divers-bodies-diving-masks

 

[clownfishsydney]

Does not make sense. Says others in water did not hear any explosion. From experience, I can tell you that you can hear a dynamite fishing bomb many kilometres away. Also, it would have to be huge to kill three people. Normally these bombs are very small.

 

[HKGuns]

Is this normal?

"To a question on whether the boatman transporting the victims left the area after dropping them off at the dive point, Omar said the dive instructor had told the boatman to return to the jetty to take additional dive tanks.

“The boatman did as he was told, and left the three divers at about 2.30pm. An hour later, he returned to fetch the divers and that was when he saw a lot of bubbles coming from underwater."

 

[chillyinCanada]

He saw a lot of bubbles? From dead people? This story just keeps getting more and more strange.

 

[GreggS]

He saw a lot of bubbles? From dead people? This story just keeps getting more and more strange.

If it was, in fact, a fish bomb that killed them and it had enough impact to shatter their masks, it could very possibly have damaged their hoses, fittings, and/or gear enough to leak air.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If it was, in fact, a fish bomb that killed them and it had enough impact to shatter their masks, it could very possibly have damaged their hoses, fittings, and/or gear enough to leak air.

I suppose but the whole situation seems very strange, not limited to the dive boat leaving them and coming back in an hour to supposedly find the wrong kind of bubbles.