6 missing foreign divers rescued

BORACAY, Aklan — Six foreign scuba divers from Boracay Island who were reported missing since Monday morning were rescued yesterday and the other night in separate places near Caluya Island.

The six foreigners were identified as Carlos Blanch, (an instructor and owner of the Fish Eye Divers in Boracay), 38, a Spanish; Timo Kauristo, 31, a Swedish; Herbert Hauser, 36, Rinzo Zanardo, 37, Marcelo Kaiser, 36, all Liechtenstein and one identified only as Hanes, an Austrian.

According to reports the two divers — Blanch and Hanes were rescued the other night in Panagatan Island while the four others were rescued yesterday morning in Sibay Island.

After Blanch and Hanes were rescued by a fishing boat they were brought to Anini-y in Antique Province.

Panagatan and Sibay Islands have a distance of around five nautical miles. The two islands on the other hand are about 40 nautical miles west of Boracay Island.

Kauristo, Hauser, Zanardo and Kaiser were reportedly found by Victory III, one of the rescue boats in the area in Sibay Island. According to reports, the divers suffered from dehydration.

Peter Gotto, partner of Blanch, said that the five divers left Boracay Island last Feb. 27 for Apo Island for a dive. However, before going to the Apo dive site, they picked up Hanes in Pandan, Antique which is why he was not included in the manifest. — Leo Solinap and Nestor Etolle