Two bodies of missing children were retrieved by the Coast Guard Station in Camarines Norte on Thursday, while the search continues for one more missing child.
The three children drowned and went missing off Pandawan Fishport in Mercedes town last Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.
A man identified as “Alvin” reported to the Coast Guard that he heard another man asking for help to save his drowning children.
Based on the information gathered, the father of the children, who was then under the influence of liquor, was walking along with his kids on the river bank of Daet Mercedes River.
The report said that at 8 p.m. they decided to cross the river. While crossing, a strong current swept the children “to unknown part of the river.”
The CGS Camarines Norte, together with the PNP and some fishermen, conducted search and rescue operations past 8 p.m. but terminated it past 10 p.m. when they were not able to find the victims.
Past 5 a.m. the next day, one body was spotted along the shoreline of Brgy. San Roque. By noon, one more body was retrieved. Both were recognized as two of the three missing children.