British man missing in Indonesia

A British sea scooter official has gone missing during the Asian Beach Games in Indonesia.

Jeremy Hoyland is believed to have disappeared on Friday during a trip to Nusa Lembongan islet, near Bali.

Mr Hoyland, 41, was supposed to return to Tanjung Benoa beach a few hours later to preside over a sea scooter race but failed to turn up.

The Foreign Office is in contact with Indonesian authorities and is providing consular assistance to his family.

The Jakarta Post reported that Mr Hoyland and four friends borrowed three sea scooters to visit the island at around 0900 local time (0100 GMT).

Uncontactable

The others returned two of the scooters at around 1300 (0500 GMT) but Mr Hoyland was not with them.

Fully Aswar, who was in charge of the competition Mr Hoyland was supposed to be at, told the newspaper that the group had not told him they were going to Nusa Lembongan islet.

He said: "They went there of their own will. I only found out that he was missing when I checked the team for the next competition."

He said Mr Hoyland answered his mobile phone at 1400 local time (0600GMT) and said he was a few miles away from the shore but after that he could not be contacted.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told the BBC: "Indonesian authorities have carried out extensive sea and air operations in their search for him."

In June, British divers Charlotte Allin, James Manning and Kathleen Mitchinson were rescued off the country's eastern coast after going missing for two days.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Asian Beach Games 2008
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