JEDDAH: A sweeping search-and-rescue operation is underway by Coastal Guards and volunteers in Jeddah a week after two Saudi men went missing during a diving trip in North Obhur.
Wissam Al-Zahrani and Fahad Arafat set out for a recreational diving trip from the resort in North Obhur around 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Concern arose when they failed to return after 8 hours and a missing persons’ report was filed at the Coastal Guard in Jeddah.
Search and rescue teams from the Jeddah Coastal Guard and diving volunteers were mobilized on the morning of Aug. 4.
After several hours of intensive operation, rescuers found the body of Arafat on Aug. 5 with marks indicating that he had possibly been attacked by a shark.
Rescue efforts continue uninterrupted to find Al-Zahrani at of the time of writing.
Speaking to Arab News, Baraa Al-Amoudi, a relative of Wissam, said: “Wissam, a professional and experienced diver, had participated in a diving trip last Sunday afternoon with two of his colleagues, one of whom was his cousin, Ammar. The three of them went diving in the open sea. After completing the first dive, everyone went to the beach to rest.
“Ammar decided to leave the resort after the break. Wissam Al-Zahrani and his friend Fahad Arafat returned to the sea for a second dive … but neither of them came back to the surface after that.”
Al-Amoudi said: “Early in the morning Wissam called me and told me that he and his friends are going to dive from the resort.
“As an experienced diver, I warned him that it is a dangerous area but he insisted on going with his friends. Around 9 p.m. I received a call from my friends and they told me my brother and his friend, Fahad, are missing.”
He added: “We are in a state of shock and it is a very painful and tragic incident to bear but we have faith in Allah’s will. Wissam was no stranger to the sea, but a professional who carried all the safety equipment. We do not know what happened underwater, but only God knows.”
Al- Amoudi said that Wissam, in particular, is a professional instructor and belongs to a family of diving professionals, suggesting that sharks at the site may have been a factor in the accident.
Fahad is a father of three and known for his good character and diving professionalism.
On Aug. 9, part of a torn diving suit was also found, along with diving goggles and an air cylinder, but the rest of the equipment and the body were not found, raising the family’s concern and increased the ambiguity and complexity of the situation.
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