BACOLOD CITY - A woman and her two nieces died after they drowned in Bago river at Purok Paho, Barangay Napoles, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday.
Police identified one of the victims as Riza Macatigos, 31, of Barangay Napoles, while the names of the two minors aged 11 and 16 were withheld.
According to PMSg Mars Anthony Luto, case investigator of Bago City Police Station, the three victims along with Macatigos’s 13-year-old daughter went swimming in the river as they attended a birthday party.
However, while the children were playing in the water, they found themselves in a deep part of the river.
Luto said that Macatigos tried to save the children, but she failed as she did not know how to swim.
Macatigos’s daughter who can swim survived, but she failed to rescue her mother and cousins.
She then called for help, but the three victims were declared dead on arrival at a hospital.
Luto said that it was the first time of the two minor-fatalities to visit the province after they were invited by Macatigos when the latter came from Janiuay, Iloilo.