Man found dead from fall in Batanes

MAHATAO, Batanes—A 20-year-old man plunged 15 feet to his death from a view deck here, in what police described as a rare accident in this pristine tourist destination.

The body of Ferdie Calderon was found stuck in a reef beneath the viewing facility at Chawa village on Thursday afternoon by divers Edwin Gonzales and German Noblejas.

The divers were part of a rescue unit deployed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Batanes police.

Calderon was reported missing on Feb. 2. They have started the search for a missing companion, 29-year-old Romar Magora.

Early rescue efforts were hampered by strong currents on Feb. 2 and 3, police said.

Calderon and Magora are residents of Cagayan province who were brought in as part of a road work crew employed by Pulsar Construction.

The two men arrived in Batanes on Jan. 25.

On Tuesday, Calderon and Magora proceeded to the view deck to take photographs at 1 p.m., according to Calderon’s father-in-law, Renante Yada, who also works for the road crew. They never returned.

Calderon was a new father. He and his wife, Chermaine, have a 22-day-old child.