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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two 13-year-old girls drowned in separate family outings in Danao City and Tuburan town in the past two days.
The latest incident involved a 13-year-old girl from Lapu-Lapu City, who drowned after the sailboat she was on board, with another minor, capsized off the seawaters of Sitio Isla Verde, Barangay Dunggoan in Danao City in northern Cebu on Monday, May 23, 2022.
Earlier or the first drowning incident happened on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Molobolo Spring in Tuburan town in northwestern Cebu where also a 13-year-old girl drowned while swimming at the spring with her neighbors.
Both incidents happened during their respective family outings.
In the latest drowning incident, the victim and her family were in Danao City for a vacation and her parents were there to visit a son-in-law, who lives there.
According to the police investigation at around 2 p.m. on Monday, May 23, the 13-year-old girl together with a 16-year-old girl, was aboard a sailboat, a few meters away from the seashore.
When suddenly, strong big waves hit the sailboat and capsized it.
“Nalunod ang sailboat unya di man kaayo kahibalo mulangoy. Murag gaduwaduwa ra na sila, gasakay-sakay. Unya natuwad guro unya kusog ang bawod,” Police Staff Sergeant Allan Virtucio, desk officer of Danao Police Station.
(The sailboat sank and she doesn’t know how to really swim. It seemed like they were just playing around, riding the sailboat. Then this probably capsized and there were big waves.)
Virtucio said that the victim did not know how to swim and she was covered by the boat when it capsized.
Her 16-year-old companion, on the other hand, struggled to swim back to shore and asked for help.
He said that the victim was rescued but by then she was not responding.
She was rushed by personnel of the Danao Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) to a nearby hospital but the attending physician declared her dead on arrival.
The victim’s father told police that what happened was an accident.
With this, Virtucio reminds the public, especially parents and guardians, to always closely look after their kids when they will visit beaches to avoid accidents like this from happening.
Tuburan accident
Earlier on Sunday afternoon of May 22, in Molobolo Spring in Tuburan town, northwestern Cebu, a 13-year-old girl drowned while swimming in the spring with her neighbors.
The girl and her family, who were from Tuburan town, were there at the spring to celebrate a birthday of a neighbor.
Investigation showed that the family was invited by their neighbors to celebrate and hold a birthday party at the spring.
The mother told police that her daughter had asked permission to go swimming at the spring with her neighbors.
The mother said that she did not allow her to do so.
However, the girl went swimming with her neighbors at the spring without her mother knowing about it.
A few moments later, the victim was later seen floating on the spring without any signs of life.
She was rushed to the hospital, but the attending physician declared her dead on arrival.
READ: Body of missing 13-year-old drowning victim found 21 hours later