Chinese Instructor Escapes Violent Underwater Brawl in Maldives

Fifty feet down in the Maldives, two men engaged in a physical altercation that looked less like a scuffle and more like a fight for survival. One man allegedly attempted to rip the other’s mask off. The victim was Xiao Du, a Chinese diving instructor who was off duty and enjoying a dive with a friend at a local reef. According to Du, the trouble started when three other divers approached him. He explained to local media that the site felt overcrowded before a man surfaced from below, swimming directly toward him and shoving him.

When the aggressor tried to swim away, his fins clipped Du. Du pushed them aside, and the situation exploded into a heated underwater brawl. Video footage captures the chaos. A second man, whom Du identified as a local dive guide, seized his arm. As Du kicked his fins at the guide, the other diver reached toward his face. Du claims this was an attempt to grab his mouthpiece. He managed to escape and, upon reaching the surface, confronted his attackers.

The confrontation continued on the water. Video taken from a boat shows Du shouting at a man on a separate vessel. "You guys came to me, grab me," Du yelled. "You try to grab my mouthpiece. You try to kill me underwater, the three of you! Three people against myself ... that's very rude!" The footage clearly shows one diver reaching toward Du’s face. Du maintains the other was trying to seize his breathing apparatus.

The National Boating Association of the Maldives (NBAM) has opened an investigation. The Maldives Legend Fleet, the diving company Du and his friend were with, acknowledged the incident. They stated that a video is circulating online regarding an event on October 28, 2026, at the Kuda Rah Thila dive site. The clash involved divers from one of their liveaboard vessels and a dive guide from another vessel named Infinity X.

"We take this incident very seriously," the company said. "Diving safety has always been our foremost priority, and we will continue to take every measure to ensure a safe and respectful diving environment at every dive site." They added that they listened to their guests' accounts and submitted the matter to relevant authorities. Since authorities are handling the case, the company declined to comment on specific details.

However, the Maldives Legend Fleet did confirm that they suspended one of their own dive guides as a result. The director of Sales and Marketing explained that the confrontation began with an incident involving a dive guide from another vessel and one of their guests. Their dive team then intervened. "We acknowledge that serious allegations have subsequently been raised regarding the conduct of our dive professional," he said. "These allegations, together with the full circumstances of the incident, require careful and impartial examination."

NBAM expressed serious concern in a public statement, noting that footage of the incident involving teams from Maldives Legend Liveaboard and Infinity X has spread widely across social media and international platforms. They consider it a serious matter requiring an impartial and thorough investigation. "Any wrongdoing, misconduct or negligence by any party must be properly established and addressed in accordance with the laws of the Maldives," the association stated.

NBAM called on the Maldives Police Service, the Ministry of Tourism, and other authorities to conduct the investigation. They urged the public to refrain from premature conclusions or allegations made on social media. The Maldives, a nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered roughly 500 miles across the equator in the Indian Ocean, remains a luxury holiday destination popular with divers who often stay at secluded resorts or on dive boats.