The female tourist who drowned while snorkeling at Long Pink Beach in Komodo National Park earlier this morning has been identified as a Chinese national. Zou Huarong was evacuated to Siloam Hospital in Labuan Bajo, but medical staff were unable to save her.
“The victim has passed away,” confirmed Bernadinus Darma, head of the Labuan Bajo Health Quarantine Office, on Tuesday, August 25.
A Race Against Time From Open Water to Hospital
Zou was evacuated to Marina Labuan Bajo Harbor aboard the Sea Rider, a speedboat operated by PT Palma Hijau Cemerlang from its post at North Padar Island within Komodo National Park. From the harbor, an ambulance transported her the rest of the way to Siloam Hospital.
The evacuation chain reflects how emergency response works across the scattered islands of Komodo National Park, where no direct road access exists between remote snorkeling sites and medical facilities in Labuan Bajo. Every step, from open water to boat to ambulance to hospital, adds critical time in a situation where minutes matter.
What Happened at the Water’s Edge
Zou was a passenger aboard the traditional pinisi boat My Moon. She had been swimming near the shoreline when other guests on nearby boats began shouting that someone was drowning.
A dinghy from a neighboring vessel rushed to the scene, arriving alongside several people who happened to be paddleboarding nearby. Among those who responded were guests from another boat who happened to have medical training, and they immediately began administering CPR.
Zou was brought to shore, where rescuers continued emergency care before she was transferred for evacuation to Labuan Bajo.
A Reminder for Anyone Visiting Komodo’s Most Photographed Beach
Long Pink Beach remains one of the most visited snorkeling sites within Komodo National Park, drawn by its distinctive rose-tinted sand and clear water. Zou’s death is a sobering reminder that even calm-looking conditions at popular tourist beaches can turn dangerous quickly, and that the presence of medically trained bystanders, as happened in this case, can make a genuine difference in the critical minutes before official rescue teams arrive.