PCG. A Chinese national died while snorkeling in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan yesterday.

Investigation revealed that on January 23 at 9:30AM, Motor Banca “Aveline” with 28 passengers and four (4) crew onboard departed Station 3, Brgy Manoc-manoc, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan for an island hopping activity. While at the snorkeling area at 10:20AM, one of the crew noticed Chin Xing Tong, 67 years old from Beijing, seemed to be disoriented during the activity. The crew immediately approached the victim and brought him onboard the motor banca. And requested assistance to the personnel of Coast Guard Sub-Station Boracay and Special Operations Unit of Western Visayas who happened to be conducting a seaboarne patrol operation at the vicinity waters of Angol Point, which was near the area of incident.

Immediately, the Deployable Response Team (DRT) maneuvered and rendered necessary assistance to the unconscious Chinese national. The team transferred the victim to PCG rubber boat and brought him to the nearest shoreline. CGSS Boracay personnel transported the victim to Metropolitan Island Clinic for medical treatment. 

At 11:44AM, the victim was declared dead by the attending physician due to acute respiratory distress syndrome or drowning.

Personnel of CGSS Boracay advised the boat captain to file a Marine Protest relative to the incident.