Personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection rescued a boy whose arm was pierced by the iron bar of a gate in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City, on November 5, 2024.
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A 12-year-old boy was injured when his left arm was pierced by an iron grill on a gate in Sitio Alseca, Barangay Calamba, Cebu City, on Monday afternoon, November 4, 2024.
The victim, a Grade 5 student and resident of the area, is now admitted to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
According to Gerald Generana, a neighbor of the victim, the incident occurred around 4:00 p.m. while the boy was playing takyan with two friends. Takyan is a traditional Filipino game where players try to keep a small, weighted shuttlecock from falling to the ground by kicking it. The shuttlecock is usually made with a metal washer and feathers or plastic strips.
During the game, their shuttlecock landed on the roof of a nearby house, and the boy climbed the gate to retrieve it. However, while they continued playing takyan, his shoe came off and also landed on the roof. When he climbed the gate to retrieve his shoe, he slipped, causing his left arm to be pierced by an iron bar on the gate.
Neighbors rushed to help after hearing his cries for assistance. They tried to pull his arm from the iron bar but were unsuccessful.
“Mao to, kuha mig hagdanan unya amo siyang gipa-relax, isog-isog bataa kay wala man mohilak, nikatawa pa gani,” Generana said in an interview with DYSS Super Radyo Cebu.
Due to the situation, they called the barangay, which immediately reported the incident to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Cebu City.
The rescue operation lasted two hours, during which rescuers destroyed a portion of the gate to free him and rushed him to the hospital. While still stuck, the rescuers administered oxygen and inserted dextrose for support.
The victim’s uncle, Homer Abellana, a delivery rider, shared that neighbors informed him of the incident. The boy is under his care, as his mother is working in Manila. He appealed to the Cebu City Government for assistance with the victim’s medical expenses.
“Matabangan mi nila bisag gamay lang nga financial, mga tambal, mga lihok kay gihilantan ang biktima,” Abellana requested.
Currently, the boy is recuperating at VSMMC after a successful operation to remove the iron bar from his arm.