HK diver and US instructor killed in Subic Bay outing

Lisa Onland and Mary Ann Benitez-

The bodies of a Hong Kong diver and his American diving instructor have been found almost one day after they went missing during a diving expedition to a World War II ship scuttled outside of Manila.

Tin Shun-chuen, 30, is believed to have been undergoing technical diving training with Steven Brittian and fellow SAR diver Chow Fung-lung at around 6pm on Sunday in Subic Bay when they went missing.

Search and rescue divers found Tin and Brittian's bodies shortly after 5pm yesterday.

While Chow completed his dive inside the USS New York without incident, Tin and Brittian were believed to be inside the engine room when both failed to surface after the dive.

Tin and Chow had hired Brittian, a 47-year-old retired US Navy shipman who is a diving instructor at Johan's beach resort and dive shop.

The shop owner, Johan De Sadelier, a Belgian national, declined to give further details, with his staff members claiming he was busy.

An employee told The Standard De Sadelier yesterday spent most of yesterday with search and rescue teams, as well as a local village captain, at the dive site.

A spokesman from the Immigration Department said a request for assistance has been received from Tin's family.

The incident is the first "fatal or non- fatal" case in Subic Bay - now a recreation area for the well-heeled - in the past six years, another veteran diver said.

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