An Australian tourist has died while scuba diving off the coast of Tulamben in eastern Bali, according to local police and Australian media reports.
The incident occurred at around 11.30am local time on Tuesday, 30 December, during a guided shore dive. The diver has been identified by Australian outlets as Nathan John Scott, who was ‘weeks short of his 51st birthday’.
Mr Scott has since been identified as a senior executive at the United Arab Emirates-based energy logistics company, the Tristar Group.
Local police in the Kubu district said Scott became distressed underwater at a depth of around 15 metres. Witnesses told officers that he appeared to panic before removing his regulator and making a rapid ascent to the surface.
‘Based on witnesses, the victim had a panic attack while diving and suddenly removed his diving regulator,’ Kubu police chief I Nyoman Sukarma told local media outlets.
Another diver accompanying him raised the alarm once they reached the surface. A local fisherman responded to calls for help and assisted in bringing the unconscious diver back to shore.
Emergency assistance was provided on land, but the diver could not be revived. Police said his body was initially taken to a local medical clinic in Kubu before being transferred to Karangasem Regional Hospital for further examination.
Australian media reported that Mr Scott had been staying in the nearby coastal town of Amed at the time of the incident. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the diver’s family.
Tulamben is one of Bali’s most well-known diving destinations, popular for its accessible shoreline and typically calm conditions.
Police said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is continuing.
Update: this story has been updated to reflect the diver’s correct age of 50 (earlier reports in the Australian media suggested he was 40.
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