Diver Remains Missing After Dive at Pescador Island in the Philippines

Friends and members of the diving community are appealing for information about Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano, who has been missing since a dive near Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu, on August 21.

An appeal is spreading through the international diving community for information that could help locate Filipino diver Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano, who has been missing since a dive near Pescador Island in the Philippines.

Multiple public appeals from friends and members of the diving community state that Zambrano disappeared on Friday, August 21, 2026, with her last known location reported as the western side of Pescador Island near Moalboal, Cebu.

The appeals place the time at approximately 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

A friend of Zambrano subsequently brought the case to the wider international diving community, asking anyone who was diving around Pescador Island or Moalboal between August 21 and 25, or who may have first-hand information relevant to the search, to contact Philippine authorities.

Philippine Coast Guard Confirms Search Operation

The Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed that an active search and retrieval operation is underway for a missing dive instructor in the waters around Pescador Island.

In a Notice to Mariners dated August 25, seen by The Scuba News, Coast Guard Station Southern Cebu said its Moalboal sub-station was continuing search and retrieval operations for a dive instructor reported missing on August 21 in the vicinity of Pescador Island, Moalboal, Cebu.

The notice does not identify the missing diver by name. However, the date and location correspond with public appeals being circulated by friends and members of the diving community for Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano.

The Coast Guard has advised mariners, seafarers, dive operators, fishing vessels, recreational boaters and other watercraft operating around Pescador Island to exercise caution, maintain a safe distance from the ongoing operation and cooperate with responding Coast Guard personnel.

Maritime stakeholders are also being asked to remain vigilant and immediately report sightings of a person, personal effects, diving equipment or other objects believed to be associated with the missing diver.

The notice identifies the search area as Pescador Island, Moalboal, Cebu, and provides coordinates of approximately 9°55’23.15″N, 123°20’39.91″E.

Anyone with information relevant to the operation can contact Coast Guard Station Southern Cebu on 0962-875-9491or Coast Guard Sub-Station Moalboal on 0915-490-9152.

Search Appeal Spreads Through Diving Community

Details of Zambrano’s disappearance have been shared across diving and community channels as friends seek to expand awareness beyond Cebu.

The public appeal specifically asks people with potentially relevant first-hand information to pass it to the authorities rather than speculate about what may have happened underwater.

That distinction is particularly important while the circumstances surrounding Zambrano’s disappearance remain unclear.

No reliable information currently available establishes what caused her to become separated or go missing, and The Scuba News has found no authoritative evidence supporting theories circulating on social media about the circumstances of the dive.

Pescador Island

Pescador Island is one of Moalboal’s best-known scuba diving locations, lying approximately four kilometres offshore from Panagsama Beach.

The small island is surrounded by dramatic underwater terrain. PADI describes deep walls around its northern and western sides, with a steep slope to the south and the well-known Cathedral formation on the northwest side.

Currents at the site can vary considerably, with PADI listing conditions ranging from calm water to currents of approximately three knots.

Those characteristics provide geographical context for the search but do not establish what happened during Zambrano’s dive.

Diving Community Asked to Help

Divers who were around Pescador Island, Moalboal or the surrounding waters between August 21 and August 25are being encouraged to consider whether they have first-hand information that could assist the ongoing operation.

That includes divers and dive professionals who were underwater in the area, as well as dive operators, boat crews, fishermen and others travelling through the surrounding waters.

The Philippine Coast Guard’s notice specifically asks maritime stakeholders to report sightings of a person, personal effects, diving equipment or other objects potentially connected with the missing diver.

Anyone with potentially relevant information should pass it directly to the Philippine Coast Guard rather than attempting to investigate individuals or draw conclusions through social media.

At the time of publication, Aliw-Iw “Iw” Zambrano remains reported missing, while the Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed that search and retrieval operations for a missing dive instructor are continuing around Pescador Island.

The Scuba News will update this story as further verified information becomes available from the Philippine Coast Guard, local authorities or Zambrano’s family.