Russian tourists die after being swept away by tide in shark-infested waters of popular diving spot

Russian tourists die after being swept away by tide in shark-infested waters of popular diving spot

Two Russian tourists died while scuba diving off Verde Island in the Philippines after being swept away by strong undercurrents.

One was believed to have drowned while the other was found being attacked by sharks, his right arm severed.

Two other Russian divers and their Filipino instructor managed to swim back to safety, the Philippine coast guard said on Friday.

Verde Island is a popular diving destination in the province of Batangas.

Philippine coast guard provincial commander Airland Lapitan said the four Russian tourists, accompanied by their Filipino dive instructor, had sailed by boat from the town of Puerto Galera in the Oriental Mindoro province to the waters around Verde Island.

While they were exploring the underwater site, powerful undercurrents pulled them away from their intended diving path, separating them from their boat, he said. Two of the Russian divers were able to resurface alongside their Filipino dive instructor, successfully making their way back to safety.

The remaining tourists, identified as Ilia Peregudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, did not reappear and were reported missing.

The dive instructor, along with divers in the vicinity and personnel from the Philippine coast guard, initiated a search operation to locate them, Mr Lapitan said.

About an hour later, the search teams discovered Melekhov floating unconscious in the water. He was transported to a hospital in Batangas where doctors attempted to revive him but ultimately declared him dead.

"The other Russian diver was found while being attacked by sharks," Mr Lapitan was quoted as saying by Associated Press news agency. "His right arm, unfortunately, had been severed and the sharks were moving around him. They somehow managed to pull him away."

Authorities are investigating the incident and discussing safety measures for the popular dive spot.

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