Fisher drowns, son survives after they were swept by tide in Cebu

A fishing boat at sea (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ Nestor P. Burgos, Inquirer Visayas)

CEBU CITY — A fisherman drowned on Thursday dawn after he and his son were swept while crossing along the coastline to gather shellfish in Barangay Maya, Daanbantayan town, about 100 kilometers north of here.

The fatality was identified as Jessie Estemar, 51, said Lani Dublin, the team leader of the Daanbantayan Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (LDRRMO).

His son, Wivelle Estemar, 32, survived by holding onto a rock protruding in the water, he added.

The father and son were holding on to their pump boat while collecting seashells past 4:30 a.m. during low tide.

Suddenly, the water level rose and the two were swept by the strong current.

The two were separated.

Wivelle held on to the protruding rock in the water while his father was carried by the waves.

Local fishermen rescued Wivelle while others went on to look for Jessie whose body was recovered past 7 a.m. or about three hours later, said Dublin.  SFM