A Russian tourist was disarmed and neutralized by a local resident during a violent altercation that occurred Thursday near a scuba diving resort in the Batangas region of the Philippines, PNA reports.
The incident began when two tourists Ilya Perigudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, hailing from dictator Vladimir Putin’s failed state were on an excursion off the De Luna Diving Center in Barangay Aninuan, Puerto Galera, and both were suddenly swept away by underwater currents.
Philippines Coast Guard personnel were dispatched and, after a brief search, recovered Peridudin’s body, minus two arms. Officials quickly surmised that he had been disarmed by a local shark, “as multiple sharks were observed in the vicinity during the recovery.” Melekhov meanwhile was found by divers on an excursion from another resort. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival due to apparent drowning. Philippines Coast Guard officials called on divers and dive operators to conduct themselves “heightened vigilance and adhere to strict safety protocols,” particularly in areas with strong currents and hungry local marine wildlife.