33-year-old man drowns in Chico River

Tabuk City, Kalinga — A 33-year-old man from Uma, Lubuagan was declared dead at a hospital after drowning late afternoon today, June 19, at the Chico River in Barangay Tuga, Tabuk City Kalinga.

The incident was responded to by the Bureau of Fire and Protection and the Tabuk City City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office personnel.

One of the rescuers from the Tabuk City DRRMO, Jacinto Acosta, narrated that their office received a call from citizens in Tuga about a drowning incident about quarter to 4:00 PM. Immediately, the team proceeded to the area where they conducted the search and rescue operation.

The victim was retrieved and was later identified by the CDRRMO personnel as Alaska Basiag. When Basiag was taken out of the water, his ears were already bleeding. Acosta explained that this means the man might have struggled and stayed in the water longer.

“Agdara iti lapayag gamin diay ngay rigat mo nga ag-angesen idiay danum ta siyempre baka nabayag nga awan nakakita kanyana,” he explained.

The victim was rushed to the Kalinga Provincial Hospital where he was declared dead.

According to one of the companions of the victim, when they headed to the river and began swimming, Basiag just disappeared. They tried looking until a little later they saw him underwater with his hand only visible.

One of the victim's friends tried to swim to the rescue and save him, however, he too got swept under the water while attempting to reach for the hand of Basiag to pull him towards a shallower area.

The attempt was abandoned as the friend gasped for air swimming back to the river bank. When he looked back at the victim, he was no longer there. They called for rescue and while waiting they tried to search the area to find Basiag but took them long before he was found and taken out of the river.

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