Boats warned after divers injured by vessel in Kenting area

Taipei, May 18 (CNA) Taiwan's Kenting National Park issued a safety warning on Sunday to vessels operating near designated dive sites off the park's coast, urging them to reduce their speed and watch for safety markers, after a serious accident occurred the previous day.

On Saturday afternoon, three male divers were injured when a fishing boat sped over a clearly marked dive site approximately 0.7 nautical miles southeast of the Houbihu scenic area.

Although surface marker buoys had been deployed and a dive boat was nearby, the fishing vessel from Yilan County's Wushi Harbor passed directly over the group, leaving two of the divers seriously hurt.

One of the injured, a 41-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉), sustained multiple lacerations, while the other, a 38-year-old man also surnamed Liu (劉), suffered more serious injuries, including an open fracture of the right humerus, along with fractures of the clavicle and ribs.

They were struck by the propeller of a passing fishing boat while already on the surface, waiting to be picked up by their dive boat, according to the Coast Guard Administration.

Chen Chun-shan (陳俊山), deputy head of the Kenting National Park Headquarters, said the site is an officially designated and publicly announced dive location and not part of any fishing zone.

While vessels are allowed to pass through, they are expected to exercise caution, especially when float buoys are visible, but he did not mention the possibility of not allowing boats to sail through the zone in the future.

Chen said the vessel involved appeared unfamiliar with local waters and likely failed to check for ongoing recreational activities before proceeding at high speed.