Body of 19-year-old man found after two days

Rescue personnel carry the body of Kim Arila, who went missing after swimming in a pool beneath a waterfalls in Barangay Esperanza, Aloguinsan town in Cebu. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The body of the 19-year-old man who went missing while swimming in a pool of water beneath a waterfalls in Sitio Sayaw, Barangay Esperanza, Aloguinsan town in Cebu was found on Wednesday morning, September 16, 2020, in the same area.

Kim Arila’s body was found by the rescue team of Aloguinsan in the same area where he went missing on Monday morning, September 14, 2020. It was reported that Arila went missing moments after the strength of the waterfalls increased due to the rain.

Arila, who was from Barangay Can-asujan, Carcar City, was with about five friends when the incident happened at around 10 a.m. on Monday.

Read: Public warned of possible landslides as rains persist

According to Police Staff Sergeant Jaypee Baritua of the Aloguinsan Police, when Arila was missing, the police and disaster team of the town, together with divers, went searching for the boy in areas where they thought the current may have taken him.

But Baritua said that Arila was found in the same area where he was last seen. This might mean that he was held by some rocks under the water, which was about 15-feet deep.

As of this posting, Baritua said they are already patrolling the area since they also received reports that it has been frequently visited by the public despite warning from residents in the area. /bmjo