A seven‑year‑old boy drowned after being swept away by the strong current of the Dario River in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City, while trying to retrieve the string of his kite Monday evening, July 6.

His body was found about 12 hours later on Tuesday morning, July 7.

The boy, identified as Joven Asuncion, was found floating face down in the San Juan River in Barangay Apolonio Samson after junk collectors spotted his body.

The discovery ended an overnight search conducted by personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (QCDRRMO), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Barangay Bahay Toro.

Joven's mother said her son had just arrived home from school and taken a bath after getting soaked in the rain before going outside again.

Citing witnesses, she said Joven slipped into the swollen river while trying to retrieve the string of his kite, managed to cling to a small tree, and cried for help before the strong current swept him away.

PCG personnel, accompanied by the child's father and other relatives, searched the Dario River for more than an hour before extending the operation toward the Dario Bridge along EDSA but found no trace of the boy.

The search was later expanded to the San Francisco del Monte River, which is connected to the Dario River, where QCDRRMO and BFP personnel conducted surface searches in the areas of Barangays Masambong and Damayan.

Barangay Bahay Toro Punong Barangay Medi Alcantara said rescue teams encountered difficulty because of the strong river current when the incident occurred.

"As soon as the incident was reported, we immediately responded. Some of the family members tried to go into the river, but the current was extremely strong. We called the BFP and the QCDRRMO. We searched different sections of the river and around the bridge before calling the Coast Guard," Alcantara said.

Authorities said the operation was hampered by poor visibility, fast-moving currents, and large amounts of garbage carried by heavy rains.

Barangay officials said the section of the river where Joven fell remained open after its riprap was damaged by a typhoon last year and had already been reported to the concerned government agencies for rehabilitation.

Alcantara added that the barangay had already requested the rehabilitation of the damaged riprap from the local government and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), noting that the area had already been surveyed for the planned repairs.

"The riprap there was damaged by a typhoon last year. We have already submitted a request to the local government and the MMDA, and the area has already been surveyed, so I believe the rehabilitation is already underway," he said.

Barangay officials said residents had repeatedly been reminded to stay away from the river during heavy rains because of rising water levels and strong currents, while safety ropes had also been installed in the area.

The Quezon City Police District has launched an investigation into the incident.