Deadly selfie as students drown in Cagayan river
By Liezle Basa Iñigo
BAGGAO, Cagayan – Two students drowned while taking a selfie along Fulay River in Barangay Poblacion, Cagayan.
SPO1 Raquel P. Tagudin, investigator on case identified the victims as Judy Espiritu, 13 years old, a resident of Poblacion, and May Delos Santos, also 13 years old, a resident of Barangay Canaggatan, Baggao, Cagayan. Both are grade 8 student of Baggao National High School.
Probers said that at around 2 p.m. of February 5, the victims, together with four other classmates – Sandra Sorita , Kaycee Galla, Nicole Nara, and Daniela Suriaga went to the house of Espiritu in Zone 3 Barangay Poblacion, Cagayan to make a project for their subject Aralin Panlipunan.
Espiritu reportedly encouraged the others to swim in the nearby river at around 2:45 p.m. They were swimming in the shallow portion of the river with the two victims pretending to be drowning while taking a selfie when a strong wave engulfed them and brought them to the deep portion of the river. Both were pronounced dead on arrival at the local hospital.
