New Zealand university professor, 62, dies while snorkeling in Indonesia

A university professor from New Zealand drowned while snorkeling off a beach in Indonesia.

Dr James Hou Fu Liu, 62, rode the Cahaya Lusia vessel with other holidaymakers to go to Pink Beach in the coastal fishing town of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province on August 11.

The group prepared to board a lifeboat to reach the beach, but James reportedly insisted on swimming his way to shore around 100 metres away, despite warnings from the crew.

He reportedly made it around 10 metres from the coast before passing out and drowning in the sea.

Lifeguards jumped into the water and swam towards him to drag him back to dry land. However, he could not be resuscitated by medics.

Supriyabto Ridwan, head of the Maumere search and rescue office, said: 'We deployed the joint SAR team to the location of the incident to carry out the evacuation using the Rib Ship from the West Manggarai SAR Post.

'At 10:50 am, the team arrived at the scene and immediately carried out the rescue. At 12:10 pm, the team brought the victim to Labuan Bajo Marina Port, where he was taken on an ambulance to the Siloam Hospital Labuan Bajo.'

Authorities believe James, who was born in Taipei, Taiwan, had died from exhaustion as he was reported to have gone trekking and snorkelling in the Komodo National Park area earlier in the day.

James was a psychology professor at the Massey University in New Zealand, and also served as President, Secretary General, Treasurer, and Journal Editor for the Asian Association of Social Psychology.

Just a day earlier, an American tourist, Sebastian Castellano, 22, from California, drowned off a beach in the Karangasem Regency.

While on July 28, French national Leo Bauthamy, 25, was swept away from Walur Beach in Lampung province. His lifeless body was washed ashore on July 29.