Bohol resort owner’s son drowns while spearfishing in Panglao

CEBU CITY, Cebu – The son of a prominent resort owner in Bohol drowned while spearfishing in the waters off Virgin Island in Barangay Poblacion, Panglao town, Bohol, on Sunday morning, June 22, 2025.

The 39-year-old victim was married and a resident of Dauis, Bohol. CDN Digital is withholding the victim’s name upon the request of the police.

In an interview, Master Sgt. Renante Foculan, investigator of the Panglao Police Station, said that the victim’s hobby was spearfishing during his free time.

Together with another free diver, they initially went to another spearfishing spot in Bolod, Bohol using a pump boat at around 6 a.m.

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After several catches, they decided to transfer to another spot near Virgin Island at around 8 a.m.

Upon arriving at Virgin Island, the victim’s companion left to relieve himself.

However, when he returned, he could no longer see the victim.

“Paghuman niya sa iyang personal necessity, paglantaw niya wala na niya nakit-an ang biktima,” Foculan said.

(After attending to his personal needs, when he looked around, he could no longer see the victim.)

He waited for three minutes for the victim to surface from the water, thinking he might have already started spearfishing even without him.

“Kay usually daw, kinadugayan nanang three minutes, motunga na sila. Wa man gyud motunga ang iyang kauban mao tong iyang gibira ang pisi,” he added.

(Because usually, after about three minutes, they would resurface. But his companion didn’t, so he pulled the rope.)

The rope was connected to a buoy and to the spear they used for catching fish. The victim dived without any breathing apparatus.

However, when he pulled the rope, the victim was nowhere to be found, so he decided to dive and search for him.

“Wala gyud niya nakita iyang kauban sa ilawom, mao tong nitunga siya ug nangayo siya ug tabang sa Bantay Dagat duol sa area,” he said.

(He really couldn’t find his companion underwater, so he surfaced and asked for help from the Bantay Dagat personnel nearby.)

The Bantay Dagat personnel also sought the assistance of divers to help in the search.

Foculan said that the divers recovered the victim’s body about 28 meters deep underwater.

The victim was retrieved at around 11 a.m., showing no signs of life.

They also discovered that the victim had been wearing weights when he dived.

“Basi adtong dive computer ba nga gisuot sa biktima, makita daw to nga nisalmot ang biktima ug 16 meters. Unya, makita pod didto nga misaka siya. Ang problema lang wa siya ka surface. Mga more or less two meters, wala siya kaabot ba murag na-short siya sa iyang ginhawa mao tong nalunod siya,” he added.

(Based on the dive computer the victim was wearing, it showed that he descended to 16 meters and was seen trying to ascend. The problem was, he didn’t reach the surface. He was about two meters short, possibly because he ran out of breath—that’s likely why he drowned.)

Based on the autopsy report, Foculan said there were no signs of foul play in the incident.