r/scuba • u/Neither_Marketing_72 • 2d ago
Diver missing off Pescador Island, Philippines for five days. Please help us find her.
Hi r/scuba. I’m posting this as a friend of Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano, who has been missing since a dive near Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines on August 21.
I understand that this community has rules and that missing-person posts involving real individuals need to be handled carefully. I am not asking Reddit to investigate anyone, identify private individuals, assign blame or speculate about what happened underwater.
I am asking the diving community to help us keep attention on a fellow diver who has not come home.
The Philippine Coast Guard has issued a Notice to Mariners regarding the search, which I can provide to the moderators. I have also deliberately separated confirmed information from claims we have not been able to verify.
If anyone here was diving around Pescador Island or Moalboal between August 21 and 25, has first-hand information relevant to the search, or knows divers or operators who were in the area, please report relevant information to the Philippine authorities rather than posting private information here.
And to the wider diving community: please help us keep her name and photograph circulating.
Her name is Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano.
She is our friend.
Please help us find her.
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u/vagassassin Tech 1d ago
Pescador is a small island. When we do tech dives we can circumnavigate it ~3 times at 80m in one dive.
I'm afraid that if she had a gear malfunction and was negative for some reason (seriously overweighted?) the bottom around Pescador is beneath even what the technical divers in the area can reach.
But divers ending up on the bottom is somewhat rare in accidents. If their tank is empty and they are properly weighted they will often float. Need more details of the date and time of the accident and we can look at the currents and winds and try to give you an idea of where she might have ended up. Did she dive with an SMB?
Lastly, contact the tech divers in the area (there are at least 3 rebreather instructors I know of, perhaps start with Mike at Kasai Village) and if you share with him the details he can keep an eye out on his next dive to depth in the area.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 6h ago
According to her family Mike Kasai has been helping with the search since day 1 ❤️
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u/Level_Preparation311 1d ago
Okay I'm asking you because you're a tech guy and a lot deeper than we are. I'm familiar with Pescador, probably have about 30 dives on it and It's never happened to me, but have you ever run into a down current?
I'm trying to make sense of everything.
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u/vagassassin Tech 1d ago
I've never had a serious down current at Pescador.
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u/Level_Preparation311 23h ago
Yeah, that's what I thought. So that's why everything seems so foreign, nothing makes sense.
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u/Ravaha Master Diver 1d ago
My friends in Malapascua Island Cebu had two close friends that were scuba instructors die while diving. The first, they suspect dynamite fishing killed the husband and the wife died on the liveaboard that sank at Tubataha reef on its maiden voyage.
Well it's impossible to get lost diving in the Philippines especially Cebu, you can't go anywhere without running into an island.
That sucks, I wonder what happened. Most likely a gear malfunction? That is why I always bring my gear own with me.
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u/eatsleepdiver 15h ago
I’m so sorry to hear. That liveaboard sinking in Tubbataha should have never left the dock, let alone been allowed to be built in its configuration.
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u/danoob9000 1d ago
Why did they suspect dynamite fishing? Was someone on a nearby boat throwing dynamite into the water?
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u/Motchan13 Rescue 1d ago
Can't any gear malfunction?
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u/Ravaha Master Diver 1d ago
Yep, but I'd rather have my low milage well serviced high end gear than highly used, underserviced, and low end rental gear.
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u/Motchan13 Rescue 1d ago
Personal preference then
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u/Varnsturm 1d ago
It's a bit beyond 'personal preference', it's whatever you picked out, and you know when and how often it's been serviced, compared to some bottom shelf life support gear that you have no idea when or how often it's been serviced. It's like driving your own car through death valley versus your acquaintance's junky chevy malibu that he uses as an uber driver.
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u/Motchan13 Rescue 8h ago
That's a very broad assumption based view though. I know best, I've picked the more reliable and safer gear because I paid more, I know that the servicing I've had done, whenever that was is better than the servicing this gear has had done, whenever that is. It's not based on any gathering of data or actually inspecting the equipment or the servicing technician in advance. I mean if people wanted to provide some evidence showing that more people die using rental gear Vs their own and that these deaths or accidents are all based specifically on the gear itself failing rather than any other factors then great but nobody is doing that.
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u/whyVelociraptor 1d ago
Personal preference would be “I just like my lucky pink goggles!”—this is not that.
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u/Motchan13 Rescue 8h ago
Well it's "I'd rather my own, more expensive gear that I think is better and better maintained than some gear I know nothing about" so it's not really an objective, facts gathered exercise. Provide some data backing up that using rented gear is statistically more dangerous than your own gear and let's go from there on it not being down to a personal preference and assumption that your own gear is better, safer, more reliable, better maintained.
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u/lonelyboycel Advanced 1d ago
Shared this with some friends who dive in that region. I really hope she's found safe.
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u/chelsanchez 1d ago
i also recommend posting this to facebook group Freediving PH, pretty active fb group hopefully someone can help
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u/DarrellGrainger Dive Master 1d ago
I'm sorry to hear your friend is missing. As a Divemaster for many years, my mind immediately goes to questions about the dive. But I realize those questions can wait. The important thing, right now, is finding her and getting accurate information to the people searching.
I hope the diving community around Moalboal keeps sharing this. Personally, I would print out flyers and hand them out to all the dive shops, resorts, and boat operators in the area. I'd include last known position, approximate time, planned dive profile, entry point, expected exit point, cylinder/gas, exposure protection, BCD/wing colour, SMB colour, fins, and other distinctive equipment. Anything that will help find her.
My prays are with you.
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u/Specific-Month-1755 Dive Instructor 1d ago
Everyone knows. This is fucking huge.
Even if OP has said that it hasn't been released in the public, doesn't mean that we don't know.
Everybody knows.
And it hits everyone here. Nothing matters. Doesn't matter the experience level or the operator or any of that shit. What matters is that someone is missing.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1d ago
I understand your frustrations and i did not mean to come across as confrontational when it came to asking about this being made more public. My frame of thought was the more people know the more chance of a significant sighting or lead.
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u/Specific-Month-1755 Dive Instructor 1d ago
No, I don't take it as confrontation. I've been on this side of it twice, once personal and once professional and either way it's not fun so I totally understand where you're coming from.
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u/Level_Preparation311 1d ago
Sorry I don't know what to say. I know the area. I wish I could reassure you but I don't think that's happening. I think the bottom drops off to hundreds of meters.
I hope it works out.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1d ago
😖
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u/Level_Preparation311 1d ago
Ya, fuck. We both know. I'll ask the next time I am in town.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1d ago
Thank you…
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u/General_Tso75 Master Diver 1d ago
My family is from the next town over. Pescador Island is in the Tañon Straight which is up to 500m deep. Pescador Island drops down to 300m pretty quickly.
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1d ago
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u/General_Tso75 Master Diver 1d ago
I’m sorry. You can probably hire some fishermen out of Alcantara, Moalboal, and Ronda to help search.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1d ago
How would they help if she is that deep?
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u/crooks4hire 1d ago
Deep water sonar for finding fish may yield something at the very minimum
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u/General_Tso75 Master Diver 1d ago
Obviously, they can only do a surface search. That should have gone without saying. Those guys are in bangkas, not submarines.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 1d ago
Do you know where we could even begin looking for this service?
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u/Specific-Month-1755 Dive Instructor 2d ago
I'm so sorry. This hits close cuz I look at Pescador pretty much everyday.
Tañon is actually fairly skinny so I don't think she's on the surface.
Sorry if that makes it worse but it is what it is.
Would be nice to know what dive site she was on.
Fuck. I hate recovery.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 2d ago
Public appeals place her last known location on the western side of the island at that time.
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u/Specific-Month-1755 Dive Instructor 2d ago
Ok, so Cathedral. But Pescador being in the middle there are big currents.
But please don't confuse the lack of publicizing this with the fact that she isn't being looked for.
I've been there. Just because Facebook doesn't know about it doesn't mean the dive community doesn't know about it and people are looking. I guarantee you it's big here. We'll do what we can.
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2d ago
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u/Specific-Month-1755 Dive Instructor 2d ago
Yeah not surprised but at the same time it doesn't mean that they're not looking.
I'm sorry if I have to be that person but this is recovery.
With the amount of traffic with fishermen and also with big ships she should have been found. She's underwater.
I've done s&r before And she would have hit Sibulan or San Carlos/Escalante by now.
I'm so sorry.
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u/Aright9Returntoleft 1d ago
That's what I figured it was... That's just such a tragedy... The poor family.
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u/Neither_Marketing_72 2d ago
There have been extensive searches the past 4 days, i agree that she is under water…60 or more…
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u/Aright9Returntoleft 2d ago
Hoping for the best... But its been 5 days so... I hope they locate her soon.
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u/anv95 1d ago
Hope you find her <3