Diving expedition turned sour: Four tourists and boat skipper rescued

A group of tourists were missing following a diving expedition at sea. According to first hand information, they formed part of a group of eleven tourists were diving near Coin de Mire islet on an expedition organised by a diving centre in Grand Gaube. They were supposed to surface at noon but only six made it. There was still no sign of the missing five persons in the afternoon. The Mauritian skipper jumped into the water but he went missing as well. The four missing tourists comprised of a German woman along with three British nationals. A search and rescue operation was set-up by the National Coast Guard with the support of the helicopter squadron and Dornier aircraft. The police claim seas were rough in the region and usually the divers should have used their oxygen reserve to surface. The group was finally rescued late in the afternoon at around five nautical miles from Grand Baie. They were all exhausted. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Xavier Luc Duval, stated to the press that he will call for an in-depth enquiry into the accident and its potential impact on the tourism sector. Mauritius wants to more than ever portray itself as a safe destination.