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Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket

Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket

Straits Times7 hours ago

Famous for its pink sand, Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. PHOTO: KOMODO TOUR BOAT WEBSITE
Chinese tourist drowns off Indonesia's pink beach after skipping life jacket to pose for camera
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 Ms 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, Ms 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.
Ms Qiu had been travelling with 10 others on a liveaboard tour. Her tour guide M r Anselmus Rade n, 24, recounted that she wanted to take pictures before putting on the life jacket.
Ms Qiu Yan was told to put on a live jacket, but she refused to, a local tour guide says.
PHOTO: WEST MANGGARAI POLICE DEPARTMENT
'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.
She was pulled from the water unconscious at about 9.30am local time (10.30am Singapore time) and given immediate first aid on shore. Mr Anselmus attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.
'There was foam and blood coming from her mouth and nose,' said Mr Hery.
Ms 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.
Ms 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.
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Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket
Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket

Straits Times

time7 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Chinese tourist drowns during tour at Indonesia's Komodo National Park after skipping life jacket

Famous for its pink sand, Long Beach is a popular dive site located in the Padar Island within the national park. PHOTO: KOMODO TOUR BOAT WEBSITE Chinese tourist drowns off Indonesia's pink beach after skipping life jacket to pose for camera 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 Ms 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, Ms 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 an Indonesian news site, on June 19. Ms Qiu had been travelling with 10 others on a liveaboard tour. Her tour guide M r Anselmus Rade n, 24, recounted that she wanted to take pictures before putting on the life jacket. Ms Qiu Yan was told to put on a live jacket, but she refused to, a local tour guide says. PHOTO: WEST MANGGARAI POLICE DEPARTMENT '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. She was pulled from the water unconscious at about 9.30am local time (10.30am Singapore time) and given immediate first aid on shore. Mr Anselmus attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. 'There was foam and blood coming from her mouth and nose,' said Mr Hery. Ms 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. Ms 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. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

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On Thursday (Jun 19) afternoon, Haleem's stall was selling the greenback at S$1.2900, versus the S$1.2972 offered by Singapore's largest bank DBS on its retail app. The cash exchange rate wasn't as favourable as YouTrip's rate of S$1.2877 per US dollar. With all this cash on hand -– some changers can turn over as much as S$500,000 a day, he says – you would expect to see armed guards all over the plaza. Instead, the stallholders rely on security cameras – there are some 90,000 across the city – to monitor activity. The dealers are the eyes and ears for each other, on the alert for any suspicious customers. Regulators have scrutinised the industry in the past, concerned about the potential for money laundering. In 2016, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) cited a Raffles Place currency changer, along with other banks, for their roles in the scandal at 1MDB, the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. 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Tourists urged to be vigilant against illegal tour guides in Penang

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