The National Boating Association of Maldives has called for a complete, fair and transparent investigation into a confrontation between divers at Kuda Rah Thila, a popular dive site in South Ari Atoll.
The association asked the police, the Ministry of Tourism and other authorities to look into the incident, which took place underwater on the morning of 28 October and spread on social media through a video.
What the instructor says
Xiao Du, a Chinese scuba instructor, says he was diving with a buddy from a liveaboard at about 7.36am when another diver pushed him at a depth of 18 metres and struck him with a fin. He says a second man then grabbed his arm and reached for his face to pull off his mask and regulator mouthpiece, and that a third person joined in.
Du has described the attack as attempted murder and said he would report it to the police. The video alone does not show who started the confrontation, and the other divers' accounts have not been made public.
Operators respond
The liveaboard operator Maldives Legend confirmed an incident at Kuda Rah Thila involving guests from one of its vessels and a dive guide from the liveaboard Infinity X. It said diving safety was its highest priority, and that it had taken statements from its guests and referred the matter to the relevant authorities.
The boating association urged the sector not to blame one another or make allegations before the facts are clear, and rejected attempts to portray the Maldives as an unsafe place to dive because of one incident.
It also raised questions about Infinity X. It said the vessel was previously foreign-operated and moved to a Maldivian-registered company after localisation rules changed, and questioned how much real Maldivian ownership and control there is. It added that the vessel's capacity advertised on booking websites does not match the Tourism Ministry's register.
The police have not publicly confirmed whether an investigation has started.