Tourists enjoy diving at the Boundary Island Tourist Attraction in Lingshui County, South China's Hainan Province, July 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

"I nearly died there!" A recent incident involving a diving expedition near Wanning, South China's Hainan Province, has prompted an official investigation after a tourist posted on social media about their harrowing experience at a local diving club. 

The tourist and his three companions were reportedly "abandoned" after a diving training session, and had to swim back to the coast. 

Local law enforcement agency released a statement after a preliminary investigation on Tuesday. According to the investigation, Jin and his three companions found online a diving coach, surnamed Meng, to arrange a diving training session off the coast of Wanning on June 6. They had scheduled to embark on a yacht on June 9, with the dive-training company contacting a holiday club on the use of the yacht.

On June 9, the holiday club arranged for Meng and others, including Jin and his companions, to board the yacht for their sea excursion. Meng and his group intended to conduct their diving training during the outing.

Upon reaching the agreed-upon area, Meng and his companions found the water depth insufficient for diving. The yacht crew dispatched a speedboat to transport them to another location for diving, setting a pickup time. However, the crew failed to appear at the designated time, and communication with the yacht became impossible.

As a result, Meng and his group, including Jin, had to swim back to shore, eventually reaching back to the coast of town around 8 pm. Jin described the return journey as terrifying, noting deteriorating weather conditions and physical exhaustion among the group.

"I was devastated in the end and felt like I could barely use my legs. I could only use my hands to paddle, and my body became cold and numb," Jin recalled.

According to the investigation statement, around 4 pm, staff members from the yacht arrived at the designated area but failed to locate Meng, Jin, and their companions. They continued searching nearby waters for nearly three hours before they finally reported the incident to local police authorities.

Giving more details, related staff told local media that the charter was handled by the "Renwoyou" Sailing Club, while pickup services were arranged by the holiday club. Allegedly, the holiday club lacked the proper qualifications for diving operations and subcontracted the task to the "Renwoyou" Sailing Club without clarifying the need for pickup.

Rescue personnel established contact with Meng and others around 8:15 pm and promptly transported them to shore. All four individuals were later treated at a hospital and have since been discharged.

Local law enforcement agencies and local police have initiated a further investigation into the case. Updates on the investigation will be provided as developments unfold.

Global Times