- The Washington Times - Monday, February 17, 2014

Five female scuba divers were found clinging to a coral reef off the coast of Bali on Monday, three days after they and two others failed to surface after a dive.

The five divers were spotted by fishermen off the coast of Nusa Penida, southeast of Bali, the Guardian reported. The women had drifted more than 12 miles and suffered minor abrasions.

The owner of dive company Yellow Scuba said he had “no clue what happened” to the five tourists and two diving instructors, all Japanese women, who never returned to the boat on Friday, CNN reported.

Rescue officials told a news conference on Monday that the two remaining divers haven’t been located.

The seven women ranged in age from 27 to 59. They were lost near the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, according to CNN.

One of the five rescued divers was identified as Saori Furukawa, one of two instructors, the Guardian reported.

Japanese consular officials said they were trying to confirm the identities of the four other women found on Monday.

The search will continue until the seventh day after the incident and may be extended “considering the costs and benefits,” CNN reported.

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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