Cop dies as zipline snaps in Laguna resort

SAN PEDRO CITY — A policeman died Monday night after falling off a zipline inside a resort in Los Baños town in Laguna province, police said Tuesday.

The victim Police Officer 1 Andrew Tamayo, 32, who was also assigned in Los Baños, died around 11 p.m. while undergoing treatment at the town’s Healthserv Medical Center due to injuries sustained when he fell three meters down into a lake from the broken zipline at the Laresio Lakeside Resort & Spa in Barangay (village) Tadlac. According to the police report, the incident happened around 4 p.m.

“(Tamayo) was off duty and was spending time with his girlfriend at the time,” said Los Baños police chief Supt. Arvin Avelino in a phone interview Tuesday.

Tamayo reportedly tried the resort’s zipline that crosses over a lake when the zipline snapped as he was about “10 to 20 meters” through it. It took the resort’s life guards “10 to 15 minutes” to rescue him, the police report said.

Avelino said autopsy is being conducted on the policeman’s body but initial investigation showed he died of drowning. He said the victim was wearing a life vest and head gear when he went on the zipline.

Avelino said the resort got in touch with the victim’s family, who has yet to file a complaint.

The Inquirer tried to get the resort’s side on the incident but its Officer-in-Charge Cora Urrea was in a meeting and unavailable for an interview. According to its website, the resort offers extreme activities like cliff diving, rappelling, and ziplining. /je