JAKARTA: A Chinese tourist drowned while swimming off Long Beach at Indonesia’s Komodo National Park on June 18, after reportedly ignoring safety advice to wear a life jacket.
The victim, identified by local media as Qiu Yan, 30, had been part of a tour group visiting the national park — a cluster of islands in East Nusa Tenggara province, known for its rugged beauty and its population of Komodo dragons.
Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. It is famous for its pink sand that gets its unique colour from red marine microscopic organisms called foraminifera.
According to a statement from the West Manggarai police, Qiu entered the sea without a life jacket despite being cautioned by her guide.
“She was reminded to use one before going into the water, but she refused,” said police spokesman Hery Suryana in comments shared with Kompas.com, an Indonesian news site, on June 19.
Qiu had been travelling with ten others on a liveaboard tour. Her tour guide Anselmus Raden, 24, recounted that she wanted to take pictures before putting on the life jacket.
“We had told her to wear it, but she said she just wanted to pose for photos first,” he said. Moments later, others in the group raised the alarm that she had gone under.
“There was foam and blood coming from her mouth and nose,” said Hery.
Qiu was transported to the Komodo Health Centre, but despite efforts by medical staff to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead. Police said the cause of death was likely due to significant water entering her lungs.
A rescue team later transported her body to Komodo Regional General Hospital in Labuan Bajo - the main entry point to Komodo National Park - using a rigid inflatable boat and a fast boat provided by the local port authority.
Qiu had been on a three-day tour, which had set off from Nusantara Port on June 17.
Authorities have since reiterated the need for strict adherence to safety protocols during marine tourism activities in the park. - The Straits Times/ANN
