Cebu City golf club employee dies after drowning in man-made lagoon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 27-year-old man died Tuesday evening, April 7, after he reportedly drowned in a man-made lagoon inside a golf club along Gov. Cuenco Avenue in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.
Authorities said the victim’s body was recovered after several hours of search and rescue operations that involved firefighters and rescue divers who located him submerged about 12 feet underwater.
Reported missing during work
Initial investigation showed that the victim, who was identified as Ryan Jermino of Barangay Guba, was an employee of a contractor hired to do renovation works at the golf club.
READ: No foul play in Bantayan laborer’s drowning, police confirm
In a report by the Mabolo Police Station, the victim’s co-worker told authorities that Jermino had informed him that he would wash himself at the man-made lagoon located near their work area.
But he no longer returned to his assigned work station an hour later or at around 6 p.m. He did not also log out at the worker’s exit area, which raised concern among his co-workers, who reported his absence to the on duty security guard.
READ: Cebu City hiking tragedy: Victim who drowned in Budlaan a fresh graduate
The security guard then conducted a search of the lagoon area where Jermino reported went and found a cup and his slippers floating on the water.
Suspecting that Jermino may have drowned, golf club workers sought assistance from emergency responders.
Rescue operations launched
According to the Cebu City Fire Office, the Cebu City Command Center informed firefighters of the drowning incident at around 8:55 p.m.
The Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) Special Rescue Forces, along with emergency medical personnel, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Due to the complexity of the operation, additional fire assets and rescue personnel were later deployed, including rescue divers from the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District.
Victim found underwater
Authorities said underwater search and rescue operations began at around 11:01 p.m. after rescue divers prepared the necessary equipment.
At around 11:18 p.m., the victim’s body was found submerged approximately 12 feet underwater and was brought to dry land two minutes later.
Police said Jermino was already lifeless when found.
His remains were turned over to Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for processing before being brought to a funeral home for post-mortem examination.
As of this writing, authorities continue their investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the Jermino’s death.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
