Russian divers found dead near popular Philippines resort

Two Russian divers were found dead—one in the jaws of a shark—after a strong underwater current separated them from their group at a popular Philippine scuba diving spot, a Coast Guard official said Friday.

Diving Tragedy in Batangas
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon near the Batangas resort area, on the main island of Luzon. Four Russians—57-year-old Eduart Perigudin, his two sons Timofy (18) and Ilya (29), and another man—were diving with their dive master when they were pulled apart by a strong current, according to district coast guard chief Airland Lapitan.

Gruesome Shark Encounter
According to a Coast Guard statement, the body of Ilya Perigudin was discovered floating near the shoreline with both arms missing, apparently due to a shark attack.

"His remains were found floating near the shoreline... with both arms missing due to an apparent shark attack. Multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery," the statement said.

Lapitan had earlier stated that rescuers saw a shark pulling the 29-year-old's body when they located him around 4:00-5:30 p.m.. However, it remains unclear whether he was killed by the shark or already dead when attacked. The bodies were turned over to family members without an autopsy.

Second Victim Also Confirmed Dead
The second victim, identified as M. Melekhov in a statement from the Russian embassy, was found about an hour earlier and was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Eduart Perigudin, his younger son Timofy, and their dive master managed to surface safely and return to the boat, Lapitan said.

Shark Attacks in the Philippines Are Rare
Despite the terrifying nature of the incident, shark attacks in the Philippines are extremely rare. According to a global database, no recorded shark attacks have occurred in at least a year in the country’s waters.