Man ‘drowns’ off Dalaguete

A 47-YEAR-OLD man allegedly drowned in the seawaters of barangay Poblacion, Dalaguete, south Cebu, last Saturday evening.

Rico Gerat was rushed to the Julio Cardinal Rosales Memorial Hospital but did not make it.

Insp. Dexter B. Basirgo, chief of the Dalaguete police station, told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview  that Gerat was drinking with his relative, Rodrigo Bulao, at 6 p.m. at the “seawall” near the wharf when he stepped down into the seawaters to take a swim.

After three minutes, 47-year-old Bulao said he followed the victim in the seawaters and saw Gerat already floating and not moving. Bulao immediately rescued and carried Gerat to the shore.

Bulao said seawater was coming out from Gerat’s mouth.

Basirgo said it was possible that Gerat had a heart attack but they are still waiting for the  autopsy result./CORRESPONDENT RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL