Scuba diver and photographer Peter Strom joins FOX Weather to talk about his ordeal where he captured the moment a shark took a few bites out of his camera.
VERDE ISLAND, Philippines – A diving expedition in the Philippines took a grisly turn on Thursday, when two of its members became separated from the group and were later found dead, one mangled after an apparent shark attack.
The incident occurred south of Manila, as a group of divers visiting from Russia went for a dive in the coastal waters off Verde Island.
One master diver and four other divers entered the water that afternoon, but about 30 minutes into the dive, strong underwater currents separated the group members and pulled them away from the boat, according to the Philippines Coast Guard District in Southern Tagalog.
Coast Guard members.
(Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog / FOX Weather)
Two of the divers and their dive master were able to find their way back to the boat.
However, the remaining two divers, 39-year-old Maksim Melekhov, 39, and Ilya Perigudin, 29, remained missing.
Melekhov was found unconscious about 50 minutes later by other divers from another group conducting a dive nearby. He was rushed to shore by speedboat for medical assistance, the Coast Guard said. However, upon arrival at a local hospital, Melekhov was declared dead.
A diving expedition in the Philippines took a grisly turn on Thursday, when two of its members became separated from the group and later found dead.
(Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog / FOX Weather)
Perigudin’s body was found that evening in the waters near the shore of Pulong Bato. The Coast Guard said his arms were missing due to what appears to have been a shark attack. His body also sustained severe trauma, likely from a shark attack, according to witnesses and rescuers.
The Coast Guard noted that several sharks were observed near the recovery area.