New: You can now listen to articles.SINGAPORE: A local diving instructor based in China’s island province of Hainan has been fined 80,000 yuan in a viral case where she and three domestic tourists were left stranded at sea on a diving trip and had to make a two-hour swim back to shore.
After a training session at a hotel swimming pool, Mr Jin, along with two other tourists and Ms Meng, boarded a boat and headed to the waters near Zhouzai island - off the coast of Wanning - for the test. There were also other passengers who planned to go snorkelling. At that moment, the tourists wanted to swim towards shore as the sun had yet to set. But the diving coach Ms Meng was certain someone would pick them up and asked the group to wait a little while more.
The report stated that Ms Meng had contacted a company to assist her in getting a boat out to sea - with a charter fee of 1,150 yuan and a 300 yuan deposit. Mr Wang believed the diving expedition would take longer than Ms Meng estimated, and decided to transport another batch of tourists to Zhouzai island before picking her group up.
The vessel returned to the waters near Zhouzai island close to 4.30pm. A crew member was sent to pick up Ms Meng and the tourists but was unable to locate them.