A local police chief says that five European scuba divers have been found alive after being swept away by powerful currents off eastern Indonesia. Police say three British divers and one each from France and Sweden plunged from their wooden boat Thursday for what was supposed to be an hour-long dive near Komodo island. Chief of local police Lt. Col. Buce Helo says the divers were found Saturday morning on the southern coast of nearby Rinca island.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Five European scuba divers were missing Friday after being swept away by powerful currents off eastern Indonesia, police said.

Three British divers and one each from France and Sweden were last seen plunging from their wooden boat Thursday for what was supposed to be an hour-long dive near Komodo island, said Buce Helo, chief of local police.

A sea search was launched after the five were reported missing by other foreigners who were waiting to dive, the police chief said.

Police and soldiers plied the waters on port authority boats and small vessels borrowed from area residents.

"There is no way of knowing for sure what happened," said Jacob, another police officer, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name. "But the currents there can be very, very strong."

The area near Bali island and the Komodo National Park - which is known for being home to the world's largest lizards, called Komodo dragons - is famous for its rich marine diversity but also for its treacherous and unpredictable seas.

Recommended only for experienced divers, it is in a place where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, creating currents that converge and separate. Whirlpools and eddies can pull divers downwards.