Russian media report that a woman spent nearly 24 hours in the Pacific Ocean off Sakhalin after a mistake by her diving instructor. Experienced diver set adrift during wreck dive.
The diver was later identified as 63-year-old Elena Dorofeeva, deputy director of a department at Russia’s Finance Ministry. An experienced diver, she had arranged a private dive while on holiday in Sakhalin. Together with instructor Pavel, she planned to descend to the wreck of the Anabar near Moneron Island in the Tatar Strait.
The instructor gave a briefing and told her they would meet at a depth of 25 metres. Dorofeeva descended, but Pavel did not, realising too late that he lacked sufficient weights. While she waited, Dorofeeva carried out decompression at five metres, but currents carried her away from the dive boat. When she surfaced, the vessel was already half a kilometre away. She was not noticed, and her instructor assumed she had joined another guide. Only after the dive ended did he realise she was missing and called for a search.
Almost 24 hours alone in the ocean
Rescue efforts, including divers and a helicopter, lasted almost a full day. During this time Dorofeeva stayed afloat with her oxygen tanks, drifting at sea. At night she saw the lights of rescuers on the shore but was unable to signal them.
By morning, a storm had begun. She found a floating stick and fixed her orange flipper to it. When the vessel Otto Schmidt passed nearby, she waved the improvised flag. Rescuers eventually found her 15 kilometres from the coast and brought her to Moneron Island. Doctors examined her and confirmed her condition was stable.
Authorities in Sakhalin have launched an investigation into the instructor’s actions. Experts stressed that responsibility lies with him and praised Dorofeeva for acting correctly, which ensured her survival.
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