Japanese dies while diving

CEBU, Philippines - A 54-year-old Japanese national died while scuba diving in the seawaters of Kontiki wall in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday morning.

Yuichi Sugiyama, native of Saitama, Japan, temporarily billeting at Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa, was rushed to Mactan Doctor's Hospital after he was found unconscious while scuba diving with a Japanese woman dive instructor around 7 a.m. yesterday

Police investigation conducted by homicide section of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office led by Police Officer 2 John Carlo Jocutan revealed that Sugiyama and his instructor went scuba diving 28 feet underwater but the instructor noticed that Sugiyama was uncomfortable. This prompted her to bring Sugiyama to their speedboat.

Sugiyama was already unconscious when they surfaced so his diving instructor decided to bring him to the resort to seek help from its medical personnel but because he was still unconscious, he was then rushed to Mactan Doctor's Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by an attending physician.

Sugiyama's cadaver was brought to Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels for autopsy to determine the real cause of his death.

Police believed he might have suffered a heart attack.

The Japanese consular office is now keeping in touch with the victim's family in Japan to inform him of his death.