Grade 10 volleyball player drowns in Panay river

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — A Grade 10 student and volleyball player drowned while crossing a river Saturday night, Aug. 22, in Sitio Pangpang, Barangay Agbalo, Panay, Capiz.

The body of the victim, identified by the alias “Vinz” and a resident of Barangay Magubilan in Panay, was recovered at about 9:50 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, after it became entangled in a fisherman’s net near the area where he went missing.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. Saturday, when the victim was heading home with his coach after attending a volleyball game.

The victim attempted to swim across the river connecting Sitio Pangpang in Barangay Agbalo and Barangay Magubilan.

A few minutes later, residents heard him shouting for help.

The victim, a student of Don Felix Balgos National High School, had left his shoes and bag on a chair before entering the river but failed to emerge.

Residents joined personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection-Panay, Panay Municipal Police Station, and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in search-and-retrieval operations.

Authorities temporarily suspended the operation around midnight and resumed the search Sunday morning.

Police said there were no indications of foul play based on witness accounts of the drowning.