A Korean national who wanted to upgrade his divers license drowned yesterday in a scuba diving training session with friends in barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.
Min Chui Jeong, 20, reportedly panicked underwater and was later pulled out unconscious.
He was brought to the Mactan Doctors Hospital where he was declared dead by the attending physician.
Jeong had a a license for open water diving and enrolled with friends at CNN Scuba Diving Academy in sitio Pangutlan, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu city to qualify for an advanced license.
Jeong was with friends Ji Hyun Kim, Sough Yur Park and Na Yong Park during yesterdays lesson.
They were accompanied by two dive masters, Korean natinal Jong Min Ho and Ritchie Aying, a Filipino.
The dive took place in front of Tambuli West Resort.
Based on the divers accounts, they started moving to the floater on board a boat at 10 a.m. They put on their diving gear which was double checked by the dive instructors.
When they reached a depth of about 19 meters, Jeong panicked, his classmates told Lapu-Lapu city police.
Minutes later, Aying who was several meters away, said he noticed them shouting for the boat. Aying went near and saw Jeong unconscious.
The victim was rushed to the hospital but it was too late.
Richard Lee, owner of the private diving school, told CEBU DAILY NEWS that it was the first time that an accident happened since the center started operations in 2001.
Azenith Lavilla, 28, secretary of CNC Scuba Diving Academy, said all their students undergo classroom training before diving in the water and all their gear are double-checked in the shop and immediately before the divers use them.
She said student divers also check their gear at a depth of every five meters.
Charlie Shin, vice consul of Korean embassy, said the result of the autopsy shows that the victim died of drowning.
He said Jeongs death was an accident.
Anything can happen, not only to Korean nationals but also to other citizens and Cebuanos, Shin said.
Jeong is the third Korean national to die of drowning this year, according to Shin.
Shin said CNC is a good diving school known for its reliable equipment and training and that he, himself, is enrolled there.
The Korean government will assist the Lapu-Lapu police in its investigation and help contact the victims family in Korea, aside from assist in the funeral arrangements, said Shin.
SPO2 Ernesto Francisco, homicide investigator, said the case is still under investigation to find out if foul play was involved.
The remains of the victim now lie at the Rolling Hills Funeral Homes.
Dive master Aying told CDN that there are four levels of licenses for divers. A diver starts with an open water license. The second is advanced, the third is a rescue license and the last is dive master license.
