One French scuba diver said the group tried to struggle against the current for at least 9 hours, but stopped after a while in order to conserve their energy. Then they saw land in the distance. Little did the scuba diving group know that the land they saw was inhabited only by komodo dragons.
“We were exhausted. Everyone had cramps.” says Laurent Pinel. The diving group made it to the island of Rinca where they were later found by fishermen on Rinca’s southern coast. Rinca is inhabited by Komodo dragons, carnivores who are known to attack humans.
Laurent Pinel said they had to pelt one persistent komodo dragon with rocks to keep it from attacking the group. They couldn’t sleep and survived off “some kind of mussels scraped from the rocks.”
Rinca Island is part of the Komodo National Park, where the Indian and Pacific oceans meet.
This diving ground is recommended only for experienced divers because of strong currents and whirlpools which often pull divers downwards. At least 3 of the 5 divers were themselves dive masters who instruct others so they were experienced.
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are the largest living species of lizard. They grow anywhere from 6.5–10 ft long and can weigh up to about 150 pounds. They are protected under Indonesian law.