4-year-old boy drowns in motorboat accident

Tacloban City (Image from Google Maps)

PALO, Leyte — A four-year-old boy drowned on Tuesday morning after the motorboat he was riding capsized in the waters off Barangay Anibong in Tacloban City, Leyte province.

Lawrence Caillo accompanied his father, Wilfredo Caillo, 44, of Sta. Rita town in Samar province, in bringing seven Chinese nationals back to their ship when the motorboat overturned about 3 a.m., said Chief Insp. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas based here.

PO1 April Rose Baldon, duty officer of the Women and Children’s Concern Division (WCCD), said the boy drowned after he was trapped in the canvass that served as roof to protect the passengers from the sun.

She said the boy was declared dead on arrival by physicians at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban.

Wilfredo, who owned and operated a motorboat, was hired by the Chinese to bring them to the ship that was anchored off in the waters off Barangay Anibong in Tacloban after delivering liquefied petroleum gas tanks in the city.

When the motorboat arrived near the ship, Wilfredo told his passengers to stand up slowly to maintain the balance of the motorboat.

But three of his passengers suddenly stood up, causing the motorboat to tilt on one side and capsize.

Baldon said the father told her that he was forced to bring his son with him during work because his wife left them a few months ago. /atm