2 drown in Batangas beach resort

NASUGBU, Batangas, Philippines—Two guests of a beach resort here drowned Sunday afternoon but a search for the body of one of the victims was still continuing, police said Monday.

Police Officer 3 Meynard Antaz, case investigator, said the victims, identified as Erickson Espino, 24, and Jay-ar Villanueva, 23, were call center agents who went swimming with two other companions during an outing at the Alix Beach Resort.

Investigation showed the group went swimming at around 12:30 p.m. but huge waves overpowered Espino and Villanueva while their two other companions, Rene Boy Lao and Christherson Celeridad, survived after they were washed ashore.

Antaz said rescuers from the Coast Guard detachment in Nasugbu found Espino floating near the resort at past 1 p.m. He was brought to the Nasugbu Doctor’s General Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Pinky Alix, resort manager, told police she had advised the group against going for a swim because of the big waves.