Rescuers recover bodies of 3 drowned boys

More than 30 hours after they went missing, the three children who were swept away by the Tullahan River in Valenzuela City have finally been found.

The bodies of Jillian Salud, 10; Kerby Tejadilla, 10 and his brother, Rheniel, 13; were recovered by a joint team from the Valenzuela Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), Philippine Coast Guard and city firefighters on Tuesday.

Salud’s body was found around 2 a.m. while Tejadilla’s  was discovered an hour later. Rheniel’s body was the last to be recovered at 5 p.m.

According to the Valenzuela DRRMO, the three children were playing basketball beside the river around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the day after Typhoon “Ompong” lashed the country with its 205-kph winds.

Strong current

When their ball fell into the river, the boys waded into the waters to retrieve it but they were swept away by the strong current.

The bodies of Salud and Tejadilla were found at the bottom of the river in Barangay Marulas.

Mayor Rex Gatchalian earlier promised help to the victims’ families “during these difficult times.”

“Concurrently, our social workers have been instructed to see to it that the families’ needs are taken care of. They have been with the two families since the incident occurred,” he said.

The 15-kilometer river starts at La Mesa Reservoir in Quezon City, flowing through Malabon and Valenzuela cities before emptying into Manila Bay.