Drowning incident in Sto. Niño, Cagayan: Uncle tried to save niece, ended up dying with her

Cagayan, Philippines – A family outing that began with a picnic unexpectedly turned into a tragedy in Sto. Niño, Cagayan over the weekend.

Leonardo Nabigan, 44, from Taguig City, and his niece Marell Ann Nabigan, 17, from San Jose Delmonte, Bulacan, visited their family and relatives in Barangay Dungao, Sto. Niño.

On Saturday morning, May 31, the family decided to go for a picnic and swim at the Chico River near Namuccayan Bridge, according to a report from Sto. Niño Public Information Office.

After some fun time, they noticed that Marell Ann had gone missing. Sensing that she might have drowned, Leonardo jumped into the river to search for her niece and rescue her. Unfortunately, he got into the deeper part of the river, where he struggled coming back up, causing him to drown.

Local responders were able to retrieve Leonardo that same day. He was rushed to the nearby medical facility, but despite efforts to save him, he was declared dead on arrival.

With the help of the Philippine Coast Guard and other local rescue teams, the remains of Marell Ann were discovered at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, around 30 meters away from the area where she went swimming.

Officials in the locality warned the community to be cautious at all times, especially when swimming in areas with strong currents, adding that rivers are not always safe.