TOKYO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Eight people, including a diving instructor and seven customers, were rescued alive after being reported missing in waters off Tokyo's Hachijo Island on Saturday, local media reported.
The captain of a diving boat made an emergency call at around 1:50 p.m. local time after the eight divers failed to return as scheduled, Kyodo News reported, citing the coast guard.
They had begun diving at around 11:30 a.m. and had been scheduled to surface about an hour later.
Following the report, coast guard patrol vessels and other ships searched the surrounding waters. At around 4:30 p.m., more than two and a half hours after the report was made, the eight people were found at sea about 10 km north of Hachijo Island, public broadcaster NHK reported.
All eight were rescued by coast guard aircraft by around 5:30 p.m. and were conscious, the report said.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. ■
