2 dead, 2 rescued in New Year’s Day drowning incident in Negros Oriental town

A family outing on New Year’s Day turns out to be a tragic drowning incident which killed two cousins, traumatized one person and left another under critical condition. | Contributed Photo / Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The Fabro family thought of celebrating the first day of 2020 by spending it at the public beach in Sitio Guba, Barangay Poblacion in Sta. Catalina town.

But what was planned as a fun getaway before everyone goes back to school and work turned out to be a tragic drowning incident that left two dead, one person traumatized and another one in critical condition.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Jonathan Abucayon of Sta. Catalina Police Station said John Mark Fabro, 16, and Rona Fabro, 21, were declared dead on arrival  at the Bayawan District Hospital after a drowning incident which happened a few minutes past 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 1.

The hospital, which is located in the neighbouring town of Bayawan, can be reached less than an hour away from Sta. Catalina or the scene of the incident.

Two other cousins, Camille and Rena, were unconscious when fellow beachgoers and members of the Sta. Catalina Rescue Unit pulled them out of the water.

Camille and Rena, both 18 years old, were revived by the rescuers but Camille is in serious condition and is under observation in a private hospital in Dumaguete City.

Medical representatives of Bayawan District Hospital declare Rona Fabro, 21, dead on arrival on January 1, Wednesday, after she drowned with her sister, Rena, and two other cousins in Sta. Catalina town. | Contributed Photo / Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office

Rena is currently recovering at the Bayawan District Hospital.

Abucayon said the four cousins are from Sitio Pinangimnan, Barangay Obat, Sta. Catalina town.

Abucayon said the Fabro family were celebrating the New Year at the public beach that is locally known as “breakwater.”

Siblings Rona and Rena were enjoying the waters with their cousins, John Mark and Camille, when they suddenly fell from an underwater wall into the deeper part of the sea.

An underwater wall or drop is locally referred to as cantil, which literally means “cliff” in Spanish.

The Fabro cousins do not know how to swim.

Witnesses said they were walking through chest-deep water when they fell into the deeper part of the sea.

In panic, they tried to grab on each other to stay afloat. As a result, all four drowned.

“Galakaw kuno na sila diha sa dagat mga chest level ang tubig dayon mikalit lang og lalom. Murag cantilado ba. Unya dili sila kabalo molangoy, nag-struggle sila,” Abucayon explained.

(They were walking through chest-level water and then they suddenly reach a deep part of the ocean. They do not know how to swim. They struggled.)

The four victims were rushed to the Bayawan District Hospital where John Mark and Rona were declared dead on arrival.

Rena is recovering at the district hospital, while Camille was transferred to a private hospital in Dumaguete City as she is in a serious condition. / celr