'He rests in the place he loved so dearly': Family of S'porean diver, 62, who went missing at Palau have accepted his death - Mothership

A 5-day search for him was called off inconclusively.

The Singaporean diver who went missing during a diving expedition in Palau on Sep. 7 was said to be a prominent figure in the local diving community.

The search for Robert Tan Soon Liang, 62, ended inconclusively days after he went missing alongside his dive buddy, a 43-year-old Chinese national called Xiaoxi Wu, also known as Helen.

Tributes have since poured in, remembering the man who was a respected figure and friend to all.

Local Palau media Island Times reported that the pair were diving at Palau's Peleliu Wall, an advanced dive site and vertical wall running along the western side of the island.

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean.

Both divers were part of a diving expedition aboard the M/Y Black Pearl.

According to Island Times, the pair were described as highly experienced divers.

Tan held an SSI Instructor Certifier qualification with more than 5,100 logged dives, while Wu was a certified Advanced Open Water diver with 243 logged dives.

Tan reportedly used his own diving equipment, and both divers chose to use personal GPS devices instead of those provided on board.

The five-day search involved local marine authorities, including the Peleliu State rangers and the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center in Guam.

It ended on Sep. 11 without successfully recovering either diver.

Days after the conclusion of the search, Tan's family said they have accepted his death.

His children issued a statement and laid out details of what may have happened on that day, according to a document shared with Mothership by Tan's daughter Melissa.

"Thank you for your overwhelming love, condolences, and support following the tragic loss of our beloved husband and father, Robert, during a dive in Palau on 7 Sep 2026."

In describing that fateful day, the statement shared that towards the end of the dive, while going for a safety stop, the dive guide noticed that Tan and Wu were no longer ascending but were descending rapidly.

Safety stops are pauses taken during an ascension to the surface to ensure divers are sufficiently acclimatised to prevent decompression sickness.

The guide apparently attempted to reach the pair, but was forced to abort the attempt at a 40-metre depth as it exceeded safe diving depth limits, the statement read.

"Sadly, given the circumstances and the time that has passed, our family has accepted that Dad could not have survived."

The family laid out the rationale behind this, explaining that Tan's air supply would have likely emptied out in one to two minutes at a 40-metre depth considering this was the end of the dive, and that the location where he went missing extends to depths of 300 to 500 metres.

His body would also not have floated to the surface due to the weight of diving equipment, which can go up to 40kg, they said.

The family chose not to undertake a deep-water recovery expedition after the search ended, considering the hazards and near-zero chance of recovering the body.

"Instead, we have chosen to let Dad rest peacefully in the ocean he loved," they said.

According to them, Tan began diving in 1994 and dedicated decades of his life to the sea.

In his lifetime, he instructed generations of divers.

"He held immense reverence for the ocean and had always expressed that, when his time came, he wished to return to the sea.

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."

The family also found comfort in knowing that Tan's final moments were likely peaceful.

Nitrogen narcosis would have kicked in below 30 to 40 metres, they said, which would have behaved "like a clinical anaesthetic" and removed fear.

He also would have likely lost consciousness within seconds at that depth without physical pain or trauma.

More importantly, "he was doing what brought him immense meaning and joy throughout his life", the statement wrote.

According to another document detailing Tan's memorial details, he was also a pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

The memorial service will be held from Sep. 25 to 27 at Youngberg Terrace, near Woodleigh MRT Station.

The local dive community has since taken to social media to express their condolences to Tan's family.

Serene Pek, founder of local dive company Cuddlefish Divers, said in a Facebook post that when she first explored Pulau Hantu during a dive expedition nine years ago, Tan was the person she reached out to.

"He was a regular face every weekend, rain or shine, first one on Dolphin Explorer!" she said, referring to the company's yacht.

"Robert was more than just a familiar name in the local dive community," she added.

"He was a passionate advocate for Singapore diving, a respected figure whose enthusiasm inspired countless divers to venture into our waters and appreciate the beauty beneath the surface.

But beyond the diving, Robert was a friend to all of us."

She said his "unwavering passion for the ocean" left an lasting impact on many local divers, while his frequent underwater posts reminded them there was always something to explore.

"Fair winds and following seas, our friend. May you forever dive in calm waters and endless visibility," Pek concluded.

Tan's final Facebook post dated Sep. 6 documented the fateful dive to Palau, featuring corals, sea animals and even a wreck site.

Mothership has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.