TWO tourists were found dead, with one discovered in the jaws of a shark, after being swept away by strong undercurrents while scuba diving.
Other tourists in the dive group were luckily able to swim back safely to their boat on Thursday off Verde Island, south of Manila, the Philippines.
Asia Pacific Press via ViralPressThe pair of tourists plunged into a popular diving spot off the idyllic Verde Island[/caption]
Diego Reyes/Asia Pacific Press/ ViralPressThe scene at the same spot moments before the attack[/caption]
East2WestRussian tourist Maksim Melekhov, 39, tragically lost his life while scuba diving in the Philippines[/caption]
East2WestRussian tourist Ilya Peregudin, 29, died while scuba diving in the Philippines[/caption]
Four Russian men aged 18 to 57 set off via boat with a Filipino dive instructor off Verde Island to scuba dive on Thursday afternoon.
But disaster soon struck after the tourists and their dive master were pulled apart by a deadly current.
Some of the group were able to come to the surface and safely return to the boat.
But two others, identified as Ilia Peregudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, were tragically discovered by rescuers hours later, a Philippine coat guard said on Friday.
Maksim was found unconscious at sea and was declared dead by doctors in a Batangas hospital.
One of the men was horribly found in the jaws of a shark – but it remains unknown whether he was killed by the beast or already dead.
Philippine coast guard provincial commander Capt. Airland Lapitan said: “The other one was found at about 4-5:30 pm and retrieved around 5-6 pm.
“When the rescuers found him, he was being pulled by a shark.
“He was eventually retrieved but his arm was missing.”
As the bodies were turned over to family members without an autopsy, it’s unclear if the man had been killed by the shark or already dead, Lapitan said.
Shark attacks in and around the Philippines waters are very rare, with none recorded in at least a year, according to a global database.
An investigation is currently underway, and the coast guard is to meet provincial officials for talks on how to prevent such deadly incidents at Verde Island, along with other dive spots.
Meanwhile on Saturday, a man is thought to have been dragged overboard by a great white shark during a fishing competition.
Dad Paul Barning was taking party in the interclub fishing competition off the coast of Port Stephens when he dramatically fell overboard on Saturday.
It’s understood by Australian media that he was tangled in the wire trace – the safety link between the hook and the mainline used when catching fish with sharp teeth.
Paul was then pulled off the boat into Port Stephens waters – where terrifying great white sharks have recently been seen.
Another fisherman had reportedly hooked a shark at the time of the horror incident, and that Paul was a support person for the catch, 7News reports.
The broadcaster also claims Paul was pulled into the water when the other fisherman let go of the line, before getting dragged under by 10 metres.
GettyOne tourist is thought to have been attacked by sharks[/caption]
Asia Pacific Press via ViralPressTwo Russian divers were killed in a horror shark attack in the Philippines[/caption]
Diego Reyes/Asia Pacific Press/ ViralPressThe pair of tourists, Ilia Peregudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, plunged into a popular diving spot off the idyllic Verde Island[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
