A diver in his 50s has died after being recovered during a search operation off the coast of Tongyeong in South Korea.
The incident occurred on 16 April 2026 near Bijindo Island in Hansan-myeon, South Gyeongsang Province.
According to the Tongyeong Coast Guard, a boat carrying six people, four of them divers, arrived on site off Bijindo’s eastern coast at around 11am, with the dive commencing around 11.30am.
Two of the divers did not return at the expected time, and the vessel’s captain alerted the authorities at approximately 1pm.
The coast guard launched a search operation deploying one aircraft and multiple patrol vessels to the area.
At approximately 1.27 pm, a diver in his 30s was found near a rocky shoreline approximately 400 metres from his expected location. He was conscious when recovered and is reported to be in stable condition.
The second diver, a man in his 50s who has been identified only as ‘Mr B’, was found at 2.47 pm, approximately 500m from the same point.
He was in cardiac arrest at the time he was recovered and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Both divers were wearing full scuba equipment when they were found.
Although no cause of the incident has been given, a Coast Guard official has been reported as urging divers to follow basic safety procedures, saying: ‘Please strictly adhere to the two-person buddy system and conduct thorough equipment checks before diving.’
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