Two submersed diver-training platforms at a popular beach north of Jeddah have been destroyed in an apparent act of vandalism that is believed to have been committed by a team of divers.
Divers using underwater pipe-cutters reduced the 10-year-old scaffolding structures off Palm Beach (formerly Al-Nakheel Beach, north of Jeddah) to little more than piles of scrap metal.
The discovery came shortly after the wooden pier leading out to the platforms was found to have two six-meter sections smashed out of it.
The submersed platforms, which were used as both training areas and for safety stops during decompression dives, were paid for by local sponsors and constructed by teams of local volunteers.
Since the construction of these platforms, thousands of divers have learned their basic safety drills at this well-known privately-run resort.
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