BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – The body of a 42-year-old man was recovered from the Bitoon River in Barangay Bitoon, Jaro district, at approximately 9 a.m. on April 24.
Ronaldo Patajo, a local delivery driver and resident of the area, was identified as the deceased.
He was fishing with his two young children on April 23 when he unexpectedly went under the water and did not resurface.
Despite the children’s efforts to get help, the depth of the river hindered any immediate rescue.
Search efforts continued into the night with no success and resumed early the next morning with the involvement of barangay officials and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Patajo’s body was eventually found floating about 50 meters downstream from where he was last seen.
Police said there were no signs of any preexisting health conditions that could have contributed to the incident./PN
