American scuba diver missing at sea off Batangas

A search and rescue operation began Thursday morning for the missing American scuba diver who failed to surface after a dive on Wednesday afternoon off Mabini in Batangas.

Super Radyo dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported on "Dobol B sa News TV" that the missing American diver —Andrew Kildride —went missing after diving at the Cathedral dive site off Anilao town.

FLASH: Amerikanong scuba diver, nawawala sa karagatan ng Anilao, Batangas. | via Carlo Mateo pic.twitter.com/nBAKGmrlzx

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 3, 2018

Kildride, with a buddy, dived at about 4 p.m. but he has not surfaced and has gone missing, the report said. 

Local divers from the resorts owners' association in Mabini town in Batangas said that the dive site was deep and the water current was strong.

The association on Thursday morning asked the help of the Philippine Coast Guard—which has deployed members of its special operations force—for the search and rescue operation.  —LBG, GMA News