Philippine Coast Guard Diver Dies During Retrieval Of Bodies

A tragic story out of the Philippines late last week.

A diver of the Philippine Coast Guard died on Friday while retrieving bodies from the Baleno 9, a ship that sank off the northern coast of Batangas two weeks ago.

Petty Officer 3 Arman Bonifacio died of cardiac arrest as he was being brought to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. The 42-year-old lost consciousness during ascent after diving to the wreck of the vessel at 220 feet with another member of the Coast Guard.

Bonifacio had reportedly signaled to his buddy while ascending at 170 feet that something was wrong. He was rushed to a decompression chamber but his condition worsened.

Baleno 9 capsized a day after Christmas, killing six, a day after Christmas. Forty-four of the 123 people on board the vessel remain missing.

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Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Petty Officer 3 Bonifacio.