The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) urged divers and diving operators Friday to exercise heightened vigilance and adhere to strict safety protocols, particularly in areas with strong currents and active marine life.
The advisory follows a tragic diving incident on February 27, 2025. Two Russian divers were found dead in the waters off Pulong Bato, San Agapito village in Isla Verde, Batangas as confirmed by the PCG Southern Tagalog district. Two others narrowly escaped death.
The victims were onboard a recreational boat, which left De Luna Diving Center in Aninuan, Puerto Galera on Thursday morning. At around 3:45 p.m. Coast Guard personnel stationed at Isla Verde received an incident report that the divers went missing.
The group was composed of one boat captain, two crew members, two master divers, and seven divers (1 Brazilian and 6 Russian nationals), who were initially dropped off at the Sawang Dive Camp before proceeding to Pulong Bato for a second dive.
Based on the account of one of the survivors, Eduart Perigudin, the group—comprising of four divers and their Dive Master—entered the water at around 1:00 PM. However, 30 minutes into the dive, they encountered strong underwater currents, causing them to be separated.
Perigudin and his 18-year-old son, Timofy Perigudin, along with their Dive Master, managed to return safely to the boat. They were found in good health. Unfortunately, two divers—identified as Ilya Perigudin and Maksim Melekhov—did not make it.
Divers from the Arkipelago Divers and Beach Resort, who were also conducting diving in the vicinity waters off Pulong Bato, discovered Melekhov unconscious. He was immediately transported via speedboat to the nearest hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.
Coast Guard personnel recovered Ilya’s body after a search and retrieval operation. His remains were found floating near the shoreline of Pulong Bato. Both his arms were missing due to an apparent shark attack. Multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity where his body was discovered.
Bodies of the victims were taken to a local funeral service in Puerto Galera for processing before they were turned over to their relatives.