Chinese woman dies while snorkeling at Paradise Island

A 48-year old Chinese woman who had been snorkeling at Paradise Island Resort and Spa was pronounced dead this morning.

The woman was pulled from the water and rushed to ADK Hospital in nearby Male’ around 10:45am.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said ADK confirmed the woman was dead on arrival, and that the police investigation was now focusing on whether she was dead when she was pulled from the water.

The resort said it could not give any information on the matter until the conclusion of the police investigation.

The death of the Chinese woman comes just days after a top UK transplant surgeon died in the water while snorkeling at the Adaaran Meedhupparu Resort in Raa Atoll.

61 year-old Ali Bakran was on holiday with his wife Diane and daughter Miriam when he was pulled from the water and pronounced dead on August 27. The resort’s management would not confirm or deny the report.

Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’ from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said yesterday that Chinese guests in particular needed to be made more aware of the dangers of snorkeling in the Maldives, “because it is a totally different environment than what they are used to.”

While UK tour operators passed on advice and information to tourists, China was a relatively new market “and the operators need to be made aware also,” Sim added.

“Few resorts have reception staff or guides who speak Mandarin.”

In mid-August a Chinese couple holidaying in the Maldives disappeared from their resort after they went for a swim.

The 38 year old woman and 40 year old man were holidaying with their 13 year-old daughter on the Hilton Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll.

On March 14, police received a report that a Chinese national, Rui Dai, died while snorkelling at Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort, South Malé Atoll.

Earlier that same month another Chinese man died while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German tourist died in a snorkeling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

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12 thoughts on “Chinese woman dies while snorkeling at Paradise Island”

  1. Every time a tourist dies in an accident,the news makes the headlines and produce hours of beaucratic hand-wringing on what we could do to prevent these disasters. A man in a canoe disappeared off an island in Felidhe atoll couple days ago. I just read that the canoe has been found. What about that poor guy? who is responsible? Maybe he was a father,a grandfather,a brother,husband? He was definitely a mother's son. And yet,do we mourn his passing? Do we spare a thought for his bereaved family? Think!

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  2. maybe there is some underwater terrorist who is planning and doing this randomly. we should start investigating this and find who is responsible. who knows this might be adhaalath party allies inovative way of attacking non muslims.

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  3. Minivan news seems to be obituary site to report every death in the country. These deaths every day report in media, I dont understand whats the point they are trying to show. These tourists can die any where in the world, if the go swimming in the ocean and if they dont know how to swim,period.

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  4. this is a serious problem now!! tourists arnt coming here to die yet it seems these days accidents like this are getting more n more, the authorities and resorts need to setup some standards. and of cause we maybe giving too much attention for foreigners while our locals are also suffering from same incidents like this

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  5. Minivan news seems to be obituary site to report every death in the country. These deaths are every day reports in Maldives media now, I dont understand whats the point they are trying to show. These tourists can die any where in the world, if they go swimming in the ocean and if they dont know how to swim,period. You cannot send someone with every tourist for snorkeling on the reef.

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  6. More than that...we have been looking for the poor guy underwater for the past 2 days, giving support with divers and equipment to the tremendous effort the coast guard is putting into trying to find the body. Regarding responsability.... nobody sent him fishing, it was a simple case of bad luck and misjudgement. Please do not think that only because it is less relevant to media, nobody is mourning him or sparing a thought for his family.

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  7. can someone please tell these Chinamen not to go snorkeling if they don't know how to swim!

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  8. I don't know why people have problems in stating the news in the MInivan news, People of Maldives should learn and get the best from the facts rather than personalizing the article and defining in your means.

    Dying while snorkeling or diving in resorts/Islands are very common. It is a fact that the tourism industry is growing larger and more tourist visiting Maldives and our Resort Industries has to note this boldly the points like. Drunken diving or snorkeling/Lack of Awareness stating the tourists or the changing currents, locating and identifying an area for snorkeling, Check health reports of the Tourists which will help the Lifeguard to identify any error. so People lets be creative enough to criticize constructively when we speak..

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  9. you never get to hear the police report after all the investigation do you? its always work in progress.

    what is going on with snorkeling in Maldives?

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  10. Who is this sim? What the hell does he know about the Maldives Tourism? We have been wasting our public funds on this idiot who has been warming the chair for the last decades doing nothing? Bug off from the industry man, and leave it to more educated people to handle it rather than making sarcastic comments. You charge more than 500$ for a room and there's no life guard stationed on the beach?

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  11. This is a very sad and shameful thing happening. Resort operations and liveaboards need to do a better job on maintaining safety to the best they can. Tourism ministry is doing a poor role as a monitoring body. Which is no surprise. I wonder if they are alarmed at all about the increase in aquatic sport related fatalities.

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  12. I am quite sad, hearing one friend was dead there this month, during his honey moon... I don't know what happened. he was just 40, a nice guy, we miss him...

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