ILOILO — A man died in a drowning incident at a beach resort in Barangay San Roque, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo over the weekend.
Police Major Francis Batallones, chief of the Barotac Viejo Municipal Police Station, identified the victim by his alias “Niko,” 39, a resident of Barangay Balabag, San Rafael town.
According to reports, Niko was drinking with his friends before they decided to swim in the sea on Saturday afternoon, August 1. Shortly after entering the water, his companions noticed he had suddenly disappeared.
His friends believe that the consumption of alcohol contributed to the drowning. Police noted that the area where they were swimming was neither deep nor drop-off prone.
Responders from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the town’s Bureau of Fire Protection immediately conducted a search operation after being alerted by the victim’s group.
The victim’s body was recovered underwater after 30 minutes. Emergency responders immediately brought him to a local hospital, where the attending physician declared him dead on arrival./PN
