MANILA, Philippines — Two Russian tourists died while scuba diving in Verde Island, Batangas, according to a statement from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday.
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| Photo Courtesy: Coast Guard Station Batangas |
The Batangas Coast Guard Station shared that on Thursday, February 27, a group of foreign tourists, including one Brazilian and six Russians, departed from Puerto Galera for a scuba diving trip at Pulong Bato, Verde Island. The group was guided by two experienced master divers along with other supporting crew members.
Around 1 p.m., four Russians and the dive master were diving in a portion of Pulong Bato, and a sudden strong current swept them away.
The dive master, 57-year-old Eduart Perigudin, and his 18-year-old son, Timofy Perigudin, were able to return safely to the boat.
While two of the tourist divers managed to escape the water safely, the other two went missing.
“Unfortunately, two divers, identified as Mr. Ilya Perigudin, 29, and Mr. Maksim Melekhov, 39, went missing,” Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog said in a Facebook post.
At around 1:50 p.m., two divers in the area discovered Melekhov unconscious. He was rushed to St. Patrick’s Hospital Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival at 3:23 p.m.
A search-and-rescue operation was launched, with assistance from the Coast Guard team, led by Captain Airland Lapitan of the Coast Guard Station Batangas.
Hours later, the body of the second missing diver Ilya Perigudin was found. The victim, who had lost both arms, was believed to have been attacked by a shark, according to the Coast Guard.
“His remains were found floating near the shoreline of Pulong Bato, with both arms missing due to an apparent shark attack. Multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery,” the local coast guard said.
Ilya Perigudi's body was transported to Puerto Galera at 9:10 p.m., where it was received by the victims' family members. The remains were then taken to a funeral home at 10:24 p.m. for proper disposition.
The Russian Embassy in the Philippines said that they are working closely with local authorities and medical facilities to manage the situation. They are also attempting to contact the victims' relatives and have requested official statements regarding the incident.
— The Summit Express
