Afghan tourist from California drowns off Pulau Tioman

An Afghan tourist from California lost his life while diving off Pulau Tioman. Superintendent Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi reported the incident occurred at around 11.30am on September 28. The victim, Mohammed Seyar Musazay, a 55-year-old civil engineer, was diving with his 24-year-old daughter and a diving instructor.

They were initially briefed on how to handle the diving equipment before venturing out into deeper waters. At a depth of 6 meters for about 20 minutes, the instructor noticed the victim struggling in the water. The instructor's daughter assisted him to the surface, but upon realizing the victim was unconscious, she began to panic.

The instructor quickly approached the victim, found his breathing regulator had fallen out of his mouth, and they were promptly taken to the Kampung Tekek Health Clinic. A medical officer pronounced the victim dead at 12.40pm. His remains were subsequently sent to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for a post-mortem examination on the following day.

The victim, who had traveled from the United States with his daughter for a holiday, was scheduled to leave Tioman on October 3. They arrived on the island on September 26. This was the second such incident on the island, following an Indian national who drowned after falling from a boat during a similar diving activity on September 12.