Three divers who were removing submerged concrete blocks at a marine farm died Saturday after they were found unconscious off Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture, the Japan Coast Guard said.
Mitsuru Shiotsuki, 45, Satoru Yuge, 37, and Taizo Yokoyama, 31, entered the water at around 9:30 a.m. Each had either a 12-liter or 14-liter air tank, but no air was found in any of them when the divers were found at around 10 a.m., the coast guard said.
The coast guard believes work procedures are likely to blame and will conduct autopsies Sunday to determine the cause of death.