Friday, February 23, 2007 Sulu guv confirms US Serviceman died of heat stroke By Bong Garcia
SULU Governor Benjamin Loong confirmed Thursday that it was heat stroke that caused of the death of an American serviceman who recently died in the island province of Sulu, where the RP-US Balikatan joint military exercise is ongoing.
Corporal Timothy Lewis died in the hospital in Jolo, Sulu around 3:30 p.m. last Friday after he collapsed while conducting survey works in preparation for road construction in the town of Indanan of the same province.
Loong made the disclosure, as he brushed aside reports that Lewis died after he was hit by shrapnel when a rock blocking the road right-of-way was destroyed with the use of explosive.
Lewis is one of the hundreds of US servicemen that are in Sulu participating in the humanitarian project-focused Balikatan 2007.
However, the US military command based in this city has not yet issued any official statement concerning the real cause of Lewis' death.
Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines spokesman Maj. John Redfield said investigation is still underway to determine Lewis' death.
The three-week Balikatan 2007 will end in March 4.
