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LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—New Year revelry turned tragic for a family after a two-year-old girl drowned in a river in Bangar town, La Union province on Sunday, New Year’s Day, according to authorities.
Police said the victim drowned at the Amburayan River traversing Sitio Pudoc while on a picnic with her family.
According to investigators, members of the family were swimming with the toddler at around 1 p.m. when they failed to notice that the victim was already missing after she was believed to have been swept away by the currents to a deep portion of the river.
The victim, who was found unconscious underwater a few minutes after her relatives noticed she was missing, was taken to a nearby health facility but was declared dead on arrival.
Police said the same fate befell three more people whom authorities identified as Christopher C. Atolba, 21, from Baguio City; John Rey Sanggio, 21, and Rogelio Bitayag, 19, both residents of La Trinidad, Benguet.
The three died after drowning at a beach in Dalumpinas Oeste in San Fernando City, La Union on Dec. 30, police said.
The victims attended a birthday celebration at the beach, and they were reportedly swept away by strong waves when they went swimming, according to investigators.
On the same day, an 11-year-old female student from Baguio City also died in a separate drowning incident in Taberna, Bauang, according to the La Union provincial police office.
Earlier, a father and his daughter from Baguio City also died after drowning at a beach in Baccuit Sur village in Bauang, La Union during a post-Christmas family outing.
The deaths of the victims in separate incidents prompted Coast Guard teams and local police to intensify their patrolling of the public beaches in the province.
They warned residents and tourists alike not to venture into the seas as they could be caught by surprise and be taken by the high waves.
Since most of the victims were from Benguet, its provincial disaster risk reduction and management office issued a statement warning its residents who were traveling for holiday outings and party celebrations in beach resorts, swimming pools, or along rivers to be more cautious and watchful.” INQ
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