MANILA – Five male teenagers aged 15 to 17 died after being swamped by “strong sea current” in Dumangas, Iloilo Saturday (Dec. 2) morning, according to a police report.
At press time, teams from the police, led by Dumangas chief of police Chief Insp. Rene Gamuyao Obregon Jr., and the Coast Guard had recovered four of the five bodies and continued to search for the fifth boy.
In a report to the PNP Iloilo provincial office, Obregon identified those whose bodies had been retrieved as: Ken Segura, 16, resident of Brgy. Victorias; Roger Derutas, 15, resident of Brgy. Victorias; Stephen Lopez, 15; and Carlo Lopez 17. The last two were residents of Salas St. in Dumangas, Iloilo.
The retrieval teams have yet to find Voltaire Jade Derutas, 15.
According to Obregon’s report to the police provincial office, the victims were swimming about 10 a.m Saturday in Brgy Bacay, when “[they] encountered heavy current of sea water and suddenly drowned.”
The Dumangas PNP team led by Obregon Jr., together with the Dumangas Rescue team, Dumangas Philippine Coast Guard and other volunteers rushed to the scene to rescue the boys.
They retrieved Ken, Stephen, Carlo, and Roger from the water and rushed them to the Ramon Duremdes District Hospital, but it was too late.