A number of tourists, including a Filipino, went missing and were found dead due to drowning in the waters off Fihalholi Island in the Maldives during the past three years, it was learned.
In 2018, a 31-year-old male from the Philippines went missing while having a day trip at Fihalholi Island Resort, according to the Maldives Times, which reported that the his body was discovered underwater by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) a day later.
Authorities said the man drowned after going swimming in the water that was having strong currents at the time.
Another tourist, a Russian national, was reported to have been missing while snorkeling in the waters off the same island in 2016.
According to vnews, the remains of the Russian tourist was found by MNDF, 17 meters underwater in the area where he went missing.
Two sisters from China who drowned at Fihalholi Island were also reported to authorities in 2015. The Chinese Embassy told the South China Morning Post that the Chinese tourists drowned after being pulled by a riptide while snorkeling.
Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong-based broadcasting company, reported that witnesses of the incident saw one of the victims being dragged away by a sudden tide, which prompted her sister to rescue her. However, both tourists weren’t able to get back to shore.
With the recent reports of tourists drowning in Maldives, including the recent case of the Filipino couple, state institutions are now holding discussions to address the issue.
