5-Day Search Ends in Heartbreak: Body of 14-year-old drowning victim in Santo Niño, Cagayan found

Santo Niño, Cagayan – The body of a 14-year-old Grade 8 student who reportedly drowned while crossing a river in Santo Niño, Cagayan, last week was found after five days of intensive search and rescue operations.

According to earlier police reports obtained by local media outlets, the victim was with three other teenagers when the drowning incident occurred along the Chico River on February 17, 2026.

Reports stated that the group had no classes that day and had originally planned to have a picnic.

When they attempted to cross the river from Barangay Lubo to Barangay Cabayo, the 14-year-old was swept away by the strong current and drowned.

Search and rescue operations were conducted by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the Aksyon Veinte Quatro Oras (AVQO) Unit, the Philippine Coast Guard, Task Force Lingkod Cagayan–Tuao Station, and local volunteers.

On February 22, the Local Government Unit of Santo Niño, through its Public Information Office, confirmed that the victim’s body was recovered that day along a stretch of the river in Barangay Lubo.

The LGU, headed by Mayor Andrew Vincent Pagurayan and Vice Mayor Vicente Pagurayan, extended its heartfelt sympathies to the grieving family and reminded parents not to allow their children to swim in or cross rivers when conditions are unsafe to prevent similar tragedies.