A British man and teenager are among four divers missing nine miles off the coast of a Malaysian island.
The 46-year-old man and 14-year-old boy were taking part in a diving training exercise off Pulau Tokong Sanggol, near the coastal town of Mersing in the country’s southeast, on Wednesday afternoon.
They have been reported missing along with an 18-year-old woman from France and a 35-year-old Norwegian woman.
Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has launched a search and rescue operation.
Coastguard teams, the police and the fisheries department set out at around 2.45pm local time (6.45am GMT).
The diving team were said to have been ferried to a location before being reported missing by a skipper, who reported the incident to the emergency services when the group didn't emerge to the surface.
Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said: "The tekong (skipper) of a boat that ferried the four foreigners to the spot made a report about the divers not surfacing after holding a diving exercise at around noon.
“The missing four are two British men and two women, a French and a Norwegian, between the ages of 14 and 46.
"A forward operating base has been set up at the Mersing District Council public jetty."
Pulau Tokong Sanggol, the island from which the group went missing, is around nine nautical miles (16.6km) from Tanjung Leman, Mersing.
The area is popular with foreign and domestic tourists due to its resorts dotted along the coast and nearby islands, loved for diving.
