CDN Digital
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The body of a 14-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in a lake at Purok 2, Barangay Loay, Toledo City, Cebu, was recovered early on Tuesday morning, September 24.
The minor was identified as Randy Pedroza, a resident of Barangay Kimba, Talisay City.
Pedroza was reportedly swimming in Damon Lake with his friends on Saturday, September 21, when he drowned and went missing.
When his friends noticed his disappearance, they immediately called for help.
In a report, the police revealed that they received a call about the alleged drowning incident at around 11:10 a.m. on Saturday.
When responding officers arrived to conduct verification, a search and rescue operation was immediately launched to find the missing minor.
Police Major Ian Macatangay, chief of the public information office of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said that the operation had to be halted due to poor visibility at night.
Personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) resumed the operation on Sunday morning, September 22.
However, the boy’s body was retrieved from the lake at around 7:52 a.m. on Tuesday, September 24. He was already dead.
According to police, the victim’s body will be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Macatangay added that the children possibly wanted to cool off by playing in the water on the day of the incident. This, however, resulted in the untimely demise of the young boy.
He also stated that the lake is an open area accessible to the public, but the area is not well secured, and there are no signs indicating whether swimming in the lake is prohibited.
Additionally, he mentioned the possibility that the specific spot where the children chose to swim had a downward slope underwater.
“Siguro ganahan lang jud mag-enjoy ang mga bata nga magligo-ligo but it led to an unfortunate event,” Macatangay added.
Toledo City is a 3rd-class component city in the Province of Cebu, located about 50 km west of Cebu City.