BATANGAS -- A seven-year-old boy and three others died in four separate drowning incidents here, a report from the Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) said on Monday, May 29.
The BPPO report identified the boy victim as ‘DA,’ a resident of Brgy. Sta Lucia, Novaliches, Quezon City while the three others who also died while swimming on a beach here were Alejandro Delos Santos, 47, carpenter, and resident of Brgy. Burol Main, Dasmariñas City, Cavite; Joshua Atienza 18, single, student and a resident of Tierra Monde, Sariaya, Quezon, and Jhoniebel Estaño, 26, single, driver and resident of Judge Juan Luna 74 Quezon City.
Based on the police reports, DA was with his family swimming at Berna Beach Resort, Apacible Boulevard, Barangay Bucana, Nasugbu town.
He was found by Jonson Calimbo who dived into the pool and noticed that there was something touching his foot under the water at 7:34 p.m. on May 29. He reported the matter in the morning the following day.
Calimbo saw the victim whom he pulled from the water and immediately sent to the hospital but was declared dead. The police report added that there was no lifeguard on duty at that time.
De Los Santos drowned at La Althea Beach Resort, Barangay Papaya, Nasugbu, at around 7 p.m. during a family outing on May 28.
Reports said the victim dived into the sea, but several minutes later he was seen by his companion floating. He was rescued with the help of the resort owner who sent him to the hospital but was declared dead.
In San Juan town, Atienza, who was with his girlfriend at the shoreline in barangay Poctol, went for a swim but due to the strong current, he was swept away into the deep portion at 5:30 p.m. on May 29.
His girlfriend saw him drowning and sought help. He was recovered by the responding members of the Quick Response Team of San Juan MDRRMO that brought him to hospital where he died.
Also on May 29, Estaño, along with his friends, went to an outing at Half Moon Beach Resort at Barangay San Diego, in Lian town where they had a drinking session.
After the drinking session that took three hours, Estaño and his companion went to the beach and swam.
At about 9 O’clock in the evening when the group was about to leave, they noticed that Estaño was missing. They quickly informed the resort owner.
The victim’s companions together with the resort staff conducted a search and after three hours, or at about 11:30 p.m., Renato de los Reyes and Edward Suerte found the victim along the shoreline of the said place but already dead.