Two tourists swept away from their scuba diving group in the Philippines have been found dead — with the mangled remains of one spotted in the jaws of a shark.
Maksim Melekhov, 39, and Ilya Perigudin, 29, were diving with Perigudin’s dad and brother and an instructor near the Batangas resort Thursday when they were swept away by a strong current about 30 minutes into the dive, the Phillipine Coast Guard said.
Perigudin was found around four minutes later “being pulled by a shark,” coast guard chief Airland Lapitan told Agence France-Presse.
“His remains were found floating near the shoreline… with both arms missing due to an apparent shark attack,” the coast guard said. “Multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery.”
Melekhov had been discovered unconscious earlier — about 20 minutes after going missing — and declared dead at a nearby hospital.
It was not clear if he had also been attacked by sharks.
The Russian tourists’ fellow divers — Perigudin’s dad Eduart, 57, and brother Timofy, 18, as well as their unidentified dive master — “managed to return safely to the boat” and “were found in good health,” the coast guard said.
The bodies of Melekhov and Ilya have been turned over to family members without an autopsy, according to the statement.
Divers should “exercise heightened vigilance and adhere to strict safety protocols, particularly in areas with strong currents and active marine life,” the Philippine Coast Guard said.
