A memorial service was held over the weekend for a PADI – BSAC dive centre owner, Philippe Kloos and his dive buddy and customer José Luis Santamaría Ría, a Guardia Civil Sergeant who disappeared and are presumed dead after a tragic scuba diving accident on March 20th off Palm Mar near Punta Rasca.
Phillippe Kloos,(picture) a Belgian national living in Arona, is a BSAC dive leader and PADI staff instructor who owned and managed Coral Sub Dive Centre, a PADI 5-Star Gold Palm IDC resort and BSAC Dive Centre.
The buddy pair went missing at about 10am on March 20 while scuba diving with eight other divers on a Coral Sub boat diving trip from the port of Las Galletas.
The other divers called for help and authorities immediately launched a massive air and sea search, but there is no trace of the buddy pair.
Just a quick note to offer my condolences to Phillippe’s family. I dived with him in the past many times, when I was a less experienced diver than now, and also when out in Tenbel socially with my family.
He was a very good & attentative person and inspired me to carry on my photography. I think it was difficult for him initially to start with Coral Sub after the death of Jean la Murene (the previous owner), but things just went from strength to strength after that – and remember the time he broke his wrist – but somehow managed to carry on the dive centre – literally single handedly!