A 65-year-old British man has died while while diving at a popular site off the Maldives, known for its plentiful hammerhead sharks.
The diver, whose name has not yet been released, drowned at the popular Hammerhead Shark Point off the coast of the atoll of Rasdhoo at shortly after 10.30am this morning.
The stricken swimmer was pulled from the water and taken to the Alif Alif Atoll hospital in Rasdhoo but was sadly pronounced dead on arrival.
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He’s the second Brit to have died in a swimming accident in the waters off the coast of Rasdhoo in just 24 hours, reports the Mail.
The tragic incident came after 46-year-old British man drowned in the same area.
The man got into difficulties in the water shortly after 9am on Monday and was rushed to hospital but medics were unable to save him.
On the UK Foreign Office website, the government said: "Most visits to Maldives are trouble free. The most common problems faced by visiting British nationals are lost and stolen passports, and swimming and diving related accidents.
"The sea around the Maldives can have strong tidal currents and a number of tourists drown every year. You should always take local advice before entering the sea."
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In 2019, authorities in the Maldives warned tourists to take "extra caution” when swimming following the deaths of five holidaymakers in just two weeks.
The Rasdhoo Atoll is famed for its plentiful hammerhead sharks, which are attracted by the huge schools of fish that mass in the shallow waters early in the morning.
Hammerheads are rarely hostile. There have only been 17 documented, unprovoked attacks by hammerhead sharks in history.
The bizarre-looking sharks tend to hunt at depths of around 200 feet, so divers hoping to see the ocean predators would need to undergo advanced training before setting out.
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