A newlywed Filipino couple drowned on Sunday while on their honeymoon in Maldives, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
Nurses Leomer and Erika Joyce Lagradilla, 30 and 29 years old respectively, married in December 18, 2018 and left Manila on January 9 for a honeymoon in Maldives. They stayed in a resort in Dhiffushi island, one of the inhabited islands in Kaafu atoll in Maldives.
According to Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato, the two were snorkeling when they drowned.
Local media reports that the couple were swimming in a shallow lagoon with a deep end between Dhiffushi and the nearby Meeru Fenfushi when the incident happened.
Dhiffushi islanders who spotted the couple in distress reportedly tried to save them from drowning. The two were rescued but were pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
The DFA said it is currently in touch with the two victims’ next of kin and has assured them of its assistance in the repatriation of their remains.
Cato said the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, which has jurisdiction over Maldives, has been instructed to coordinate with local authorities there and in making arrangements for the repatriation of their bodies.
Cato said local authorities are investigating the incident.