21-year-old man collecting sea shells drowns in Compostela

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Compostela Police is reminding the public, especially fishermen and those who are swimming to collect sea shells, to be more careful when they are at sea.

This after a man drowned along the seas off Purok Mahogany, Barangay Estaca in Compostela town, northern Cebu on Thursday night, June 11, 2020.

The victim was identified as Elderth Berut Montecioso, 21, from Purok Bayabas, Barangay Poblacion, of the same town.

Police Captain Vincent Zozobrado, chief of Compostela Police Station, said that they received a report about the drowning incident around 8 p.m. or about nine hours since the incident happened at around 11:45 a.m.

Initial investigation revealed that Montecioso was collecting sea shells and was about to go home when he was accidentally taken by the waves to the deep part of the sea and failed to resurface from the water.

Those who were nearby tried to save Montecioso but were unable to, which led to the call for a rescue operation.

The members of the municipal disaster and risk reduction management and the barangay police responded and were able to recover the body of Montecioso a few minutes after the search and rescue operation. They  immediately brought him to Danao City District Hospital but the victim was declared dead on arrival by Doctor Margarito Maningo, the attending physician.

The drowning incident happened just a few hours after the bodies of two fishermen in Ginatilan town, who went missing on Wednesday, June 10, were recovered. /bmjo

Read: Two Ginatilan fishermen drown after vessel capsizes