Czech tourist dead after diving from Moalboal bar terrace at low tide

Czech
It is believed that Roman Sgiloda, aged 27, failed to realise that the tide had gone out since he had been swimming near the bar earlier in the day. File photo.

A Czech tourist died of head injuries after he attempted to dive into the sea from a bar terrace in Moalboal at low tide.

Roman Sgiloda, aged 27, died of head injuries after his stunt went wrong shortly after 10pm on Saturday (May 5).

ADVERTISEMENT

Arnold Sergio, desk officer of Moalboal Police, said the victim and his three friends were enjoying a drinking session in a bar near their resort.

Sgiloda, who was reportedly already drunk, excused himself to go to the toilet. After he came out of the men’s room, he suddenly ran to the terrace and quickly dove to the shore.

The Czech tourist was rushed to Badian Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician due to severe head injuries.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the morning before the accident, during high tide, Sgiloda and his friends were seen swimming near the bar.

The police are continuing to investigate the incident to determine if the establishment should be held liable in any way. The possibility of foul play has already been ruled out.

Since the death, the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas is reminding stakeholders to always ensure the safety and security of tourists.

ADVERTISEMENT

Regional director Shalimar Tamano said: “The priority of the DOT Central Visayas is the safety and security of tourists. We have been talking about that almost everyday. We want to remind our stakeholders about this regularly.”

He also reminded resort owners to always check on their guests to ensure they are not harmed or involved in any accidents. He added that to address this issue they would be getting additional funds from the DOT Central Office to conduct more trainings and these would include safety and security trainings.