Pink Beach: British tour guide, 24, dies after suffering seizure while snorkelling in East Lombok, Indonesia

The tourist was part of a group of 10 exploring the Semangko Sea near the famed Pink Beach on July 30 when she became unresponsive during a dive. She was working as a diving instructor and had just completed a 50ft dive when she began convulsing while resurfacing.

Police said the woman, who was diving with another guide, had already completed two snorkelling stops with the group. “At around 8.30am, the group arrived at the first location, Gili Peteluan, for snorkelling,” said Nikolas Osman, head of public relations at East Lombok Police. “Then, at around 09.15am, they continued to the second spot, Semangko Sea at Pink Beach, for more snorkelling activities.”

He added: “After they finished at the second location at around 11.15am, one of her fellow snorkelling guides asked the guests to return to the boat for a lunch break. The two guides then went diving again to a depth of about 10 to 15 metres. When she was about to return to the surface of the sea, the victim’s condition suddenly became unusual, so her friend guided her to the surface.”

She was still breathing when pulled from the water. The boat captain immediately set course for Telong-Elong Pier, where an ambulance was waiting. She was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Her body is now being held at Bhayangkara Hospital pending a post-mortem examination.

Authorities in East Lombok have confirmed that both the tour crew and other tourists present are being questioned to determine the exact circumstances of the incident. The UK Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Indonesia and are in touch with the local authorities.”

Pink Beach, known locally as Pantai Merah, is a popular snorkelling destination famous for its unique pink sand caused by microscopic red foraminifera organisms mixing with white sand.