Divers brawl underwater at overcrowded Maldives reef

Two divers were involved in an underwater brawl 50 feet beneath the surface in the Maldives, according to the Daily Mail. Video footage captured one of the men trying to take off the mask of an off-duty Chinese diving instructor named Xiao Du. [1]

The Daily Mail reported that Mr Du was diving with a friend when three other divers approached him. Mr Du told local media that the dive site was overcrowded when a man swam up from below and pushed him. When the man attempted to swim away, his fins struck Mr Du, who tried to push the fins aside, triggering a heated underwater exchange. [1]

The Maldives is an archipelagic nation located in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka. The country consists of a chain of 26 atolls with its capital in Male. Its upper-middle-income economy relies heavily on tourism, which focuses on coral reefs, marine life, and luxury resorts. [2][3]