Missing British divers found alive

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Why David Cameron owes unemployed single mothers an apology

How would you describe an unemployed single mother, with moderate depression, who can't afford new s...

Can we shop our way out of a recession?

The idea that a lot of shopping translates into a healthy economy is dubious. On the three prior oc...

How social networking made public vanity acceptable

When did it become acceptable to brag about oneself publicly?

‘French beer is unknown. We must change that’

Stereotypes die hard. ‘The Very Hungry Frenchman’, the BBC’s current television series following che...

Three Britons who failed to return from a diving trip off Bali two days ago have been found alive, relieved relatives said today.

Ernest Leandowski, the husband of Kathleen Mitchinson who was leading the dive, told the Press Association all five missing divers, including the three Britons, had been found alive.

"They have been found, they are alive and are now on their way to get medical assistance. That is all I can say at this stage as I have not yet spoken to my wife," he said.

Britons Mrs Mitchinson, Charlotte Allin and James Manning, along with two other divers believed to be from France and Sweden, had been missing since 3pm local time (8am BST) on Thursday.

The alarm was raised after the group failed to return following a dive off the remote Komodo National Park in Indonesia.

Miss Allin's father, Dave Allin, told the Press Association: "We know that they have been found. It is fantastic news. It has been a very long night.

"I haven't spoken to Charlotte yet and we don't know what their medical condition is - they have been floating out there for two days. We are still waiting for news of how they are."

Mr Allin said he understood that the divers had been taken by boat to a medical centre on the island of Flores.

"I gather that they have managed to walk under their own steam which is a good sign, but I don't know any more than that," he added.

Speaking from the family home in the village of Northam, near Bideford, Devon, he said: "We have all the family over here. There are about 12 of us including the grandparents and we are all celebrating.

"We have been sitting around waiting for news all night. It is pretty emotional as you can imagine."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "By all accounts all five have been found by Indonesian fisherman."

The diving expedition was organised by the Reefseekers diving centre, which is run by Mrs Mitchinson and based in Labuan Bajo, a small fishing town on the Indonesian island of Flores.

The waters off the isolated park are attractive to divers but the area boasts strong and unpredictable currents which can create challenging conditions.



During an emotional phone call to her parents, Charlotte Allin, 25, said she was tired and dehydrated but fine except for a few cuts and bruises on her feet.

Her mother Sue said: "I didn't believe that she was all right until I heard her voice."

Her father Dave added: "We are very happy. She's a bit dehydrated and exhausted.

"She didn't really understand what all the fuss was about."

He added: "We just want to get them home now."

Mr Allin said Charlotte and her boyfriend James Manning, 30, were diving instructors who had been teaching scuba diving in Phi Phi, Thailand, for about two years.

He said they would be coming home soon and joked that he would "lock her up" to keep her safe.

He said the group of divers were thought to have drifted about 25 miles.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

So long Sarkozy: Inside the tiny town that will topple the French president

Inside the tiny town that will topple Sarkozy

The tiny town of Donzy is France's political weathervane finds John Lichfield.
A class act: Claire Foy on criticism, tumours and embarrassing sex scenes

Claire Foy: Criticism, tumours and embarrassing sex scenes

Her luminous good looks made the actress the star of Little Dorrit and Upstairs Downstairs
A new leaf: Mark Hix sings the praises of spinach

A new leaf: Mark Hix sings the praises of spinach

Spinach is the versatile superfood that will keep you strong and healthy throughout the winter months.
Hollywood ate my novel: Novelists reveal what it’s like to have their book turned into a movie

Hollywood ate my novel

Novelists reveal what it’s like to have their book turned into a movie
How you can force companies to behave themselves

How you can force companies to behave themselves

Buying even a single share in a firm gives you the right to question its practices
Lost in the landscape: Wilderness and wildlife in Australia’s Top End

Wilderness and wildlife in Australia’s Top End

This sparsely populated region is home to creatures that are both fantastic and formidable
48 Hours: Marrakech

48 Hours: Marrakech

From the ancient medina to the Palmeraie, Morocco's Rose City offers a warm escape from the cold of winter.
Bear with Bern for Swiss skiing

Bear with Bern for Swiss skiing

Stephen Wood arrives at the gateway to the Bernese Oberland with plenty of respect for the slopes and the city's ursine inhabitants.
Dawn of the age of wireless medicine

Dawn of the age of wireless medicine

New technology means doctors will soon be able to regulate and monitor drug intake remotely – as long as patients remember to swallow their chips
Pete Doherty: I was a bit unhinged

Pete Doherty: I was a bit unhinged

Former Libertine talks frankly and exclusively about Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse, his baby daughter and why he paints with his own blood
Brown makes £1m since leaving No 10 (but Blair's still the leading earner)

Brown makes £1m since leaving No 10...

... but Blair's still the leading earner
The West Bank's Bobby Sands

The West Bank's Bobby Sands

Khader Adnan's two-month hunger strike has made him a hero among Palestinians outraged by Israel's policy of arbitrary detention
Hey, You've got to hide your drug away

Hey, You've got to hide your drug away

Paul McCartney has given up smoking dope. Simon Usborne charts a career of highs and lows
The 50 Best lights

The 50 Best cheap eats

The top spots for breakfast, lunch and dinner
MI5 helped US in fruitless search for Charlie Chaplin's Communist past

Investigating Charlie Chaplin

MI5 helped US in fruitless search for star's Communist past