Two minors, businesswoman drown in Cauayan

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Three people, including two minors, died from drowning in Purok 13, Sitio Capaclan, Barangay Inayawan, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Saturday.

The victims were a 15-year-old female student, a 5-year-old boy, and a 64-year-old businesswoman, all residents of the barangay.

Police Lt. Col. Norberto Barniso, chief of the Cauayan Municipal Police Station, said the two minors went swimming in the sea when they were swept by a strong current.

The elderly victim attempted to rescue them, but she was also carried away by the current, Barniso said.

He added that the three victims might have struggled to survive, leading to drowning.

Police, along with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection, responded and recovered the victims, who were declared dead at a hospital.

Police Lt. Col. Joem Malong, spokesperson for Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region, said the boy was a relative of the businesswoman, while the teenager was a daughter of a family friend.

Cauayan is a coastal town in southern Negros Occidental where rough seas and rip currents are common hazards during inclement weather.