Emergency responders help in extracting the car that fell off a cliff while a female driver was about to park it in the vicinity of the Temple of Leah on Saturday, May 21, 2022. | Photo courtesy of John Benson Uraca Dolosa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 55-year-old mother and her 18-year-old daughter are safe after they quickly disembarked from their car before it fell off a cliff near the parking lot of the Temple of Leah in Barangay Busay, Cebu City, shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
Renzo Del Rosario, Data Management Chief of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said the 55-year-old mother only sustained minor bruises. She was immediately attended to, together with her daughter, by the emergency responders.
According to the report from CDRRMO, the mother was about to park in the vicinity of the Temple of Leah in Sitio Roosevelt, Barangay Busay. As she was maneuvering her car, she changed gear to reverse.
Thinking that she already changed it, she stepped on the accelerator. As a result, her car suddenly accelerated forward. Panicking, she failed to step on the brakes.
Fortunately, she and her daughter were able to go out before the vehicle fell off the cliff.
According to the responders’ report, no houses or establishments were damaged in the incident considering several houses are built on the cliff because the fall was halted when the car hit a coconut tree.
Del Rosario said that based on their data, several vehicular accidents have been reported in the area in the past months. However, based on what he can recall, this was the first time that a car fell off the said cliff.
Over this, Del Rosario reminds the public to be mindful when driving their vehicle.
“If feel nila nga di gyud nila kaya, then we urge them to call out their friends or families who can drive them home, or where they need to go. Number 1, check the equipment of the vehicle if it is still serviceable para makalikay sa disgrasya,” Del Rosario said.
Aside from that, the driver must be physically and mentally capable to drive the vehicle, especially on steep roads like the one heading to the Temple of Leah.
The car was safely extricated by members of the special rescue squad at 4:23 p.m. /rcg
| Photo courtesy of John Benson Uraca Dolosa
| Photo courtesy of John Benson Uraca Dolosa
| Photo courtesy of John Benson Uraca Dolosa