File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Search and rescue operations continue for a father who went missing after swimming in the seas off Moalboal last Saturday, May 11.
Police in Moalboal confirmed receiving a missing person alert last Saturday. The missing person happened to be a 58-year-old man identified as Alejando Canene, a resident of Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City.
The Canene family went swimming along Basdaku Beach in Brgy. Saavedra on Saturday morning, said Police Captain Claudio Gako, officer-in-charge of the Moalboal Police Station.
READ: Korean dies while swimming in Moalboal
Around noon, they decided to head home. Some of his relatives spotted him swimming back to shore to retrieve his belongings, police findings showed.
READ: Moalboal gov’t launches investigation on viral diving incident
But the family started to worry when Canene failed to get back on shore, prompting his daughter, Geneva Canene, to seek assistance from authorities.
READ: Spanish national, who went missing, found dead under 14 feet of seawater in Moalboal
Authorities in Moalboal, composed of the Moalboal Police Station, and personnel from the town’s Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bantay Dagat and several volunteer scuba divers then carried out search and rescue efforts.
But as of 11 a.m. on Monday, May 13, the older Canene remained missing.
“As of now, the retrieval operation is still ongoing, with continued coordination efforts with neighboring municipalities already made regarding the possible discovery of the victim’s body,” said Gako.
Moalboal is a fourth-class municipality located approximately 88 kilometers southwest of Cebu City. The town is a popular tourist destination for beachgoers and diving enthusiasts.