US Diver Airlifted to Manila

An American diver John Hancock 38-year old of salvor firm Titan was airlifted to Manila from Sibuyan Island by a Philippine Coast Guard rescue chopper Friday morning after experiencing chest pains and numbness on the left half of his face and the left arm.

Dr. Ted Esguerra, PCG flight surgeon, said Hancock was exposed to cyanide while handling a chemical called isocyanate from the firm's own stock on board a Titan vessel. The handling accident occurred away from the water and was not related to the ongoing retrieval of toxic endosulfan inside the upturned ship.

Hancock was stable when he landed at the Medical City in Pasig before noon following an hour-and-a-half flight from Sibuyan Island while he was on oxygen support throughout the trip.

Sibuyanon won't worried for this accident because it happened above the ship not along salvage operation. According to Hancock isocyanate was accidentally spilled onto his left forearm in their work area aboard a Titan ship. They are using this chemical for operations. That why, he experienced left-sided weakeness and difficulty in breathing.