PUBLISHED ONSeptember 21, 2026 3:56 AMBYLim KeweiThe family of missing Singaporean diver Robert Tan Soon Liang said they have "found some peace" in knowing the ocean is their father's final resting place.
"He held immense reverence for the ocean and has always expressed that, when his time came, he wished to return to the sea," said the family in a statement shared by 360watersports.smb, the social media page of Scuba Schools International in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, on Sept 17.
"Although we wish deeply that he could come home to us, we find comfort in knowing that he now rests in the place he loved so dearly."
Tan, 62, and fellow diver Xiaoxi Wu, a 43-year-old Chinese national, went missing during a dive on Sept 7 in Palau, an island nation north of Indonesia.
The search was called off after five days.
Tan began diving in 1994 and held a Scuba Schools International Instructor Certifier qualification, logging more than 5,100 dives.
Tan's family requested in their statement for the public to refrain from speculating about the incident or spreading unverified information.
According to them, the dive guide had noticed Tan and Wu rapidly descending near the end of the dive, when they were to take a safety stop.
A safety stop is a procedure where a diver pauses at a depth, usually about five metres, before ascending so that the body has more time to eliminate excess nitrogen.
The dive guard attempted to reach them but had to turn back at 40 metres — the maximum recreational depth limit.
The family said the site where Tan and Wu were last seen lies at depths of 300m to 500m, making survival impossible without specialised equipment.
"Our family has decided not to undertake a deep-water recovery expedition," they said.
"Instead, we have chosen to let Dad rest peacefully in the ocean he loved."
Elaborating on the reasons why, the family added that a recovery expedition would be risky and hazardous and at a depth of 300 to 500 metres, "chances of recovering a body are close to zero".
They said they are also reassured by diving physiology and medicine to know that Tan "would not have suffered at the end".
He would have likely experienced narcosis, which acts as an anaesthetic, below 30 to 40 metres, before losing consciousness "within seconds" when oxygen ran out.
According to Tan's Facebook profile, he had a 34-year career in the Republic of Singapore Air Force as a helicopter pilot and flight instructor.
A memorial service for Tan will be held at Youngberg Terrace from Sept 25 to 27.
"All are welcome to join us as we remember and celebrate Dad's life, his passions, his flying career, his love for the ocean, and the many lives he touched," the family said.
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lim.kewei@asiaone.com
