By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – Two Russian nationals lost their lives in a diving incident in waters off Isla Verde in Batangas City on Thursday.
In an incident report on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Maksim Melekhov, 39, and Ilya Perigudin, 29, died during a dive with a group that include a boat captain, two crew members, two master divers, and seven divers — one Brazilian and six Russian nationals.
The PCG said the group departed from De Luna Diving Center in Barangay Aninuan, Puerto Galera, aboard recreational boat ‘D’ Ocean Riders’ for a diving activity at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
The group was initially dropped off at Sawang Dive Camp before proceeding to Pulong Bato for a second dive.
One of the survivors, 57-year-old Eduart Perigudin, said their group — composed of four divers and one dive master — entered the water around 1 p.m.
“However, 30 minutes into the dive, they encountered strong underwater currents, causing them to be separated,” the PCG said.
Eduart, his 18-year-old son Timofy, and their dive master managed to return to their boat.
Melekhov was later found unconscious by divers from Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort who were also conducting a dive in the vicinity waters off Pulong Bato.
He was immediately transported via speedboat to Sitio Aplaya, Barangay Tabangao, Batangas, but was declared dead on arrival at St. Patrick’s Hospital Medical Center at 3:23 p.m.
Meanwhile, a search-and-retrieval operation by the PCG Sub-Station Isla Verde led to the discovery of Ilya’s body near the shoreline of Pulong Bato.
The PCG reported that Ilya’s arms were missing due to an apparent shark attack, “as multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery.”
Following the incident, the PCG called on divers and dive operators to exercise “heightened vigilance and adhere to strict safety protocols,” particularly in areas with strong currents and active marine life.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Manila said it has been officially informed of the demise of its two citizens and is now in the process of locating their next of kin.
“The Embassy is searching for relatives of the victims. We have requested official comments from the Philippine side on the case,” it said. (with report from Joyce Rocamora/PNA)
