Two Russian tourists died after being swept away by strong waves while scuba diving in the southern part of Manila. One is believed to have drowned while the other was attacked by sharks, according to a Philippine Coast Guard official this Friday.
Two more Russian tourists survived and returned safely to their dive boat on Thursday in Verde Island, a popular diving spot in Batangas, according to Capt. Airland Lapitan, provincial commander of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Four Russian tourists sailed from Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro to Verde Island with a Filipino dive instructor. While scuba diving, they were swept away by strong undercurrents, Lapitan said.
Two of them afloat with the dive instructor, but Ilia Peregudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, are missing. The dive instructor, other divers in the area, and Philippine Coast Guard personnel immediately conducted a search operation, according to Lapitan.
Melekhov was found an hour after disappearing but was unconscious. He was taken to a hospital in Batangas, where he was pronounced dead.
“Another Russian diver was found under attack by sharks. His right arm was cut off and there were sharks circling him," Lapitan told The Associated Press. "Somehow, they managed to pull him away."
The investigation is ongoing, and the Coast Guard is scheduled to meet with provincial officials to discuss how to avoid such incidents in Verde Island and other diving spots, according to Lapitan.
