NEGROS Occidental — A 53-year-old man was found dead on Monday morning, June 15, following an overnight search in an irrigation canal in Barangay Caridad, Bago City in this province.
The victim, a resident of the village’s Purok Langka, was recovered at around 11:30 a.m. through a joint search and retrieval operation by the Bago City Component Police Station (CCPS), the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Pulupandan Sub-Station.
Bago City police received a report at around 7:40 a.m. Monday regarding a suspected drowning incident that allegedly occurred at around 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 14.
Police investigation revealed a neighbor last saw the victim at his residence near the canal at around 1 p.m. on Sunday. The neighbor noted that the victim was suffering from tuberculosis and was scheduled for a hospital check-up the following morning.
At around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, the neighbor went to the victim’s house to accompany him to his medical appointment but found him missing. During his search, another resident mentioned that a child had reported seeing a person in the irrigation canal at around 3 p.m. Sunday, with only one arm protruding above the water.
Responding emergency teams launched an extensive search and retrieval operation that led to the recovery of the victim’s body before noon on Monday. The victim was rushed to the Bago City Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Authorities stated that there were no initial signs of foul play, though an investigation was ongoing as of press time to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
