Spanish national, who went missing, found dead under 14 feet of seawater in Moalboal

Moalboal cop chief say foreigner probably suffered cramps while snorkeling, causing him to drown

Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) check on the body of the foreigner, whose body was found under 14 feet of water, after it was retrieved on October 27 in Barangay Basdiot, Moalboal town. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Spanish national, who went missing while snorkeling off the seawaters of Barangay Basdiot, Moalboal town on October 26, was found by rescuers under 14 feet of water a day after he went missing.

Police Captain Etelmerto Timagos, chief of the Moalboal Police Station, in a phone interview with CDN Digital on October 28, said that the foreigner’s body was found by search and rescue teams at 3:44 p.m. on October 27 or a day after he was reported missing.

READ: Japanese, Korean drown in Mandaue, Camotes

Spanish national found under 14 feet of water

“14 feet sa ilawom. Actually, wa pa ni siya kalutaw. Wa pa ni kalutaw (ang iyang lawas),” Timagos said about how they found the foreigner.

(He was found 14 feet under the sea. Actually, his body has not yet floated to the surface. His body has not yet floated to the surface.)

He said the body of the victim was retrieved by rescuers at past 6 p.m. on Friday, October 27.

Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) wait for the body of the foreign national to be brought ashore at past 6 p.m. on October 27. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro

READ: Argao drowning: Body of 10-year-old boy found along riverbank

Spanish national identified through passport

The Spanish national was identified as Jorge Oliva through a portion of his passport, whom the owner of the room that the foreigner rented posted in Facebook after the latter went missing.

Timagos said that there was no foul play in the death of the foreigner.

“Gibacktrack ni namo ang iyang (We backtracked his) activities through the CCTV footage,” said the police chief.

“Mao rag way porsiyento nga dunay foul play kay amo man pod ning gipainspect sa SOCO [Scene of the Crime Operatives] para masiguro namo,” he said.

He said that the foreigner probably suffered cramps on his legs or leg causing him to fail to surface as he dove under the water or he could have just failed to be aware of how long he was underwater because he was amazed at the surroundings under the sea in Moalboal.

READ: Preventable drowning incidents

Cramps eyed as cause of drowning

“Kung wa ni siya mabikoge, ang akong kuwan na miscalculate niya ang ilawom ba tungod kay kantilado man god ni diri god. Daghan portion nga kantilado ba,” said Timagos.

(If he did not suffer cramps on his leg, perhaps, he miscalculated the depth he was diving because these area of the sea have portions where there would be a sudden drop of depth of the seafloor. There are a lot of portions there like this in this area under the sea.)

“Basin na amazed siya sa view sa ilawom, sa mga korals ingon ana. Nalipat siguro siya sa mga kantil kay healthy man god ni siya og appearance. Maskulado sad ba unya bata ba 26 years old. Di sad ta makakuan nga giatake,” the police chief said.

(Perhaps, he was amazed at the view under the water, in the corals, like that. Causing him to lose awareness of where he was under the sea and the sudden drop of the sea floor because he was healthy in appearance. He is muscular and young at 26 years old. We cannot also say that he suffered a heart attack.)

READ: Body of drowning victim found near Port of Albuquerque in Bohol

Spanish victim turned down offer to have a guide

“Dakong possibility nga gibikugan nga pinakaduol (nga cause sa pagalumos),” he said.

(There’s a big possibility that he suffered the cramps on his leg and that was the nearest (cause of drowning).)

The police chief said that one of the factors that could have prevented this drowning was that the foreigner could have hired a guide for this snorkeling activity.

He was offered twice to have a guide by the owner of the rented room whom he informed that he was going snorkeling, and the owner of the shop where he rented the snorkel and fins and the Go Pro, and both times he refused the offer.

Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) prepare to check on the body of the foreigner, who drowned and was found under 14 feet of water, off the seawaters of Barangay Basdiot, Moalboal town on October 27. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro

READ: Fisherman, who went missing while fishing, found dead in Liloan shoreline

Spanish national reported missing

According to Timagos, the Spanish national turned down having a guide, saying that he was only snorkeling there for only a short time.

The police chief said that the owner reported the foreigner missing in the morning of October 27 or already a day since he did not return to his rented room.

The owner of the rented room said she believed that when the foreigner did not return that night from snorkeling, he could have went to a bar and met locals or other foreigners in the area.

But when Spanish national did not return the next day, she then informed the barangay officials, who then informed the police, and then the police conducted the backtracking of the foreigner’s activities.

READ: Teen drowns while spearfishing in Batangas

Search and rescue conducted

They also coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard, who also conducted a search and rescue operation in the area. 

The owner of the rented room then posted a portion of the passport of the missing foreigner, seeking help about his whereabouts.

When other foreigners learned about him being possibly lost at sea, they also helped the divers of the Coast Guard in finding the missing foreigner.

At 3:44 p.m., the Spanish national was found dead under 14 feet of water.

Rescuers retrieved the drowning victim’s body at past 6 p.m.