PCG retrieves body of missing child in Surigao del Norte
BUTUAN CITY – Philippine Coast Guard personnel recovered the body of a missing child on Sunday after an extensive search of the Mayag River in Mainit, Surigao del Norte.
The child had been reported missing since Saturday after allegedly falling into the river in Purok Mahusay, Barangay Matin-ao.
Initial search efforts by the Coast Guard Station Surigao del Norte, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) were suspended Saturday night due to poor visibility and heavy rain.
“Search efforts with the support units from MDRRMO and BFP were immediately undertaken to determine the child’s whereabouts but yielded negative results,” the CGSSDN said in its report on Monday.
Search teams intensified operations Sunday, deploying additional personnel from the Coast Guard Special Operations Group. They conducted underwater, surface, and shoreline searches covering 1.2 kilometers downstream.
The body was sighted and retrieved around 9 a.m. and later identified by family members. The remains were turned over to Mainit police for proper disposition. (PNA)