A scuba diver has died following a dive from the liveaboard Solitude One in the Philippines.
The operator issued a statement the day after the incident, which occurred on Monday, 5 June. It said that a group including the diver, their buddy and a dive-guide had been surfacing from an afternoon dive. The divers had “strictly adhered to safety protocols, including the necessary safety stop”, stated Solitude.
The surfacing divers had been spotted by the crew of the waiting diving skiff, one of two used from the liveaboard, but when it went to bring them onboard one was found to be unconscious. On the boat the dive-guide had administered CPR and provided the guest with oxygen while the liveaboard crew were alerted to the situation.
A defibrillator was used in a further attempt to resuscitate the diver, and the Philippine Coast Guard were informed of the situation and attended the scene. Solitude One abandoned its planned itinerary and followed the Coast Guard into the nearest port, but the guest was confirmed to have died.
Solitude issued an appeal to the public to “refrain from engaging in speculative discussions that go beyond the confirmed facts provided” and to respect the privacy of the unnamed diver’s family.
In the Philippines the 52m Solitude One operates seven-day Tubbataha and 11-day Anilao-Surigao itineraries for up to 22 guests at a time between April and August. At other times of year it operates in Micronesia. Solitude also operates a 36m catamaran in Indonesia and has resorts there and in the Philippines.
