MERSING: The resort-cum-boat operator involved in the incident where four foreign divers went missing here in April has been slapped with a RM5,000 fine.
Mersing Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Commander Maritime Khairul Nizam Misran said the resort and boat outfit, Winter Snow Sdn Bhd, was charged under Rule 12 of the Boat Rules of 1953 for operating without the required number of crew as per the condition set by the Port Officer.
The company also provides boat services for divers.
Khairul Nizam said the company’s representative pleaded guilty when the charge was read in front of magistrate Rashida Baharom at the Mersing Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
On April 6, four European scuba divers went missing off Pulau Tokong Sanggol here. They were dive master Kristine Grodem, 35, from Norway, British national Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, his Dutch national son Nathan Renze Chesters, 14, and French woman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18.
Only Grodem, Adrian and Molina were found.
Adrian later told the authorities that his son did not make it and died after becoming too weak, and his body was likely to have drifted to Indonesian waters.
“Following the incident, the Mersing MMEA further investigated the owner of the resort and boat involved to find out the reason for the incident or if there had been negligence.
“Investigations revealed that on the day of the incident, the boat was operating below the number of crew required by the Port Officer under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1952,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Winter Snow paid the fine.
The company was not represented by a lawyer while the case was handled by MMEA prosecuting officer Azlan Bohari.
