4 drown in Iloilo, Catanduanes

An All Souls’ Day outing turned tragic after two youngsters drowned while swimming in a river in Barotac Nuevo town in Iloilo.  In Catanduanes, a man and his 2-year-old son drowned at the sea off Caramoran town in the evening of All Souls Day when the motorized banca they were riding capsized.

The body of Florence Jagolingay, 16, was found around noon of Nov. 2 along the Jalaur River in Barangay Tabucan in Barotac Nuevo, 30 km northeast of Iloilo City.

The remains of her companion Emmanuel Gallo, 20, was recovered by search and rescue groups around 5 p.m. the next day in Barangay Tumcon in the neighboring town of Pototan, according to Police Officer 1 Alejo Dillo of the Barotac police station.

The two were part of a group of five youngsters who went swimming in Barangay Tabucan.

Citing results of their investigation, Dillo said Jagolingay cried for help when she was swept by strong currents to deeper waters. Gallo tried to rescue her but he too was carried by the current.

Jagolingay was brought to the Don Jose. S. Monfort Medical Center in Barotac Nuevo but was declared dead on arrival.

In Virac, Catanduanes,  Jose Ferrer, 45, and his son Jeric, both of barangay Dariao, were on board the banca traveling from Dariao to Barangay  Toytoy, also of Caramoran, on Nov. 2 when the wooden vessel apparently hit something at a shallow portion of the sea at about 7 p.m., causing the father and son to drown, according  to a report reaching Catanduanes police on Saturday.

Residents found the bodies of Ferrer and his son, which were brought to the Caramoran rural health unit for post-mortem examination. Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas and Fernan Gianan, Inquirer Southern Luzon