Rompin:A 55-year-old Afghan man passed away while participating in a Discovery Scuba Diving (DSD) activity in the waters near Kampung Salang, Pulau Tioman.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim, Mohammed Seyar Musazay, who resided in California, United States, was declared dead at approximately 12.40 pm after being taken to the Kampung Tekek Health Clinic.

Rompin police chief Supt Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi reported that the victim was vacationing in Pulau Tioman with his 24-year-old daughter from Kuala Lumpur, staying at a chalet in Kampung Salang since September 26. The scuba diving outing began at around 11 am, involving the victim, his daughter, and a scuba instructor.

Before the dive, both the victim and his daughter received a briefing on using the diving equipment and participated in practical training on the beach before heading out to sea. The dive lasted about 20 minutes at a depth of six meters, during which the victim initially appeared to be in good health.

As the activity concluded, the instructor assisted the victim's daughter in surfacing from a depth of about three meters. He then noticed the victim struggling to reach the surface, with the regulator detached from his mouth, and found him unconscious.

The victim was brought to the beach and transported by a villager's boat to the Kampung Tekek Health Clinic, where he was pronounced dead. His body was later taken to Teluk Gading by a Marine Police boat at around 4.50 pm and sent to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for a post-mortem examination.