By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS City – A 63-year-old farmer accidentally drowned to his death as he attempted to borrow rice from a neighbor Tuesday afternoon in Barangay Cogon, Sigma, Capiz.
Police identified the victim as Oscar Jantolos of Cogon village.
According to investigation by Sigma PNP, Jantolos was believed to be drunk when he sailed on a boat in the flooded rice field.
According to his family, Jantolos was supposed to borrow rice from a neighbor.
Fifteen minutes later, Julina Aberoda saw the boat crash into a banana plant causing the victim to fall into the rice field.
The victim failed to surface from the water and a search and rescue operation was conducted.
Jantolos’s body was found after 25 minutes of searching by the residents and volunteers.
First aid was applied to the victim before he was taken to Sen. Gerardo Roxas District Hospital in Dao town where he was declared dead on arrival.
Sigma was one of the towns in Capiz affected by flood due to heavy rains in recent days.
