Mersing district police chief Cyril Edward shows pictures of two divers found alive. AFP

A British man and French teenager were rescued in Malaysia on Saturday three days after going missing while diving, but the man's son was still missing, police said.

Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, of France and Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, of Britain were found early on Saturday in waters near Indonesia's border and have been taken to a hospital, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said. The two were in stable condition, police told local media.

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Chester's Dutch son, Nathen Renze Chesters, remained missing, the agency said in a statement.

The trio and their instructor got into trouble Wednesday after they surfaced from a dive near a southern island but could not find their boat.

The search and rescue operation for foreign divers off the coast of Johor's Mersing, Malaysia. AP

The search and rescue operation has expanded, with helicopters, a plane, boats, divers and jet skiers looking at a large area.

Nuing said officials would now focus their efforts further south, towards neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia.

The boat skipper was detained for further investigation, and diving activities off Mersing have been suspended. There are several islands off the town that are popular dive spots for local residents and tourists.

Malaysia’s borders reopened to foreigners on April 1 after being closed for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.