Coast Guard personnel saw sharks attacking Russian diver —CGS Batangas

The Coast Guard Station (CGS) Batangas on Saturday said their personnel saw sharks attacking the lifeless body of a Russian diver near Verde Island on Thursday.

"Our guys conducting the rescue, they saw the sharks attacking the victim," CGS Batangas commander Captain Airland Lapitan said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

"During that time, nakita rin nila na ito ay iniikutan ng mga sharks sa area. 'Yun ang naging conclusion o basehan na sinasabi na may pating sa area. They saw the shark attacking the victim," he said.

(During that time, they saw that sharks in the area were circling around the victim. That became the basis of the conclusion that there were sharks in the area.)

Lapitan was referring to the second missing Russian diver who was found before 6 p.m. Thursday floating in the waters near the shoreline of Pulong Bato, with both arms missing.

The victim was one of two Russian divers who died during a diving trip near Verde Island Thursday.

Lapitan earlier reported that four Russians were scuba diving in a portion of Pulong Bato when a sudden strong current washed them away.

Two of the four were able to get out of the water together with their dive master. However, the two others went missing.

One diver was found floating in the waters and was brought to a hospital in Batangas City. However, he was declared dead on arrival past 3 p.m. 

He had no bite marks, Lapitan said of this first body. "Wala pang nakitang kagat o marks ng bite ng shark."

Lapitan also said the incident Thursday was the first shark attack in the area.

"Opo, ito talaga 'yung first incident na nangyari [ang shark attack]," he said during the Saturday interview.

(Yes, this really is the first incident of shark attack.)

Advisory

Lapitan said they already issued an advisory for divers to refrain from diving in the meantime.

They are also discussing the matter with the Department of Tourism (DOT), if diving activities will be suspended, he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is continuing the investigation into the matter, and checking the licenses of the divers and amount of oxygen left in their tanks, among other things.

"As of this moment, nagsasagawa kami ng masusing imbestigasyon (we are conducting a thorough investigation). We will also recommend [having a] joint investigation together with the Department of Tourism," he said.

"We will also recommend that a joint review and assessment ng (of) existing policies together with the DOT [be made]," he added.

Lapitan said Verde Island is really a diving site attracting many divers.

"Yes, diving site talaga 'yan and marami rin talagang nagda-dive sa area na 'yan," he said.

(Yes, that is really a diving site and many people go diving in that area.)

Meanwhile, the PCG is awaiting the medico-legal report of the attending physician on the remains of the second diver who lost both arms.

Lapitan said the report will be disclosed to the relatives or friends of the victim when they arrive to claim the body.

Asked to comment regarding a dive master's observation that the death of the said diver could have been due to the body slamming onto corals, Lapitan said it is possible.

"Maaari silang humampas sa bato or naging unconscious sila," he said, adding that a shark attack could have occurred afterward. 

(They could have slammed onto stones or became unconscious.) —KG, GMA Integrated News