THE vacation of two brothers from the town of Barili, Cebu turned tragic after they drowned in the seawaters off Barangay Poblacion, Sibonga on Monday afternoon, March 14, 2022.
Police identified the fatalities as Recoy Tanghiyan Casipong, 19, and Adrian, 16. Both hailed from Barangay Kangdampas, Barili.
Initial investigation showed Recoy, Adrian and their older brother Jorge were on vacation in their aunt's residence in Sitio Suba Pandan, Poblacion, Sibonga.
On Monday afternoon, the three brothers boarded the pump boat owned by Edgar Albiso Taladro, husband of their aunt.
Taladro piloted the wooden sea vessel, police said.
Around 1:30 p.m. when the pump boat was near the Sibonga Wharf in Poblacion, the pump boat capsized after it was pummeled by strong waves and wind. They were all thrown into the sea.
Recoy and Adrian did not know how to swim. They then drowned after their companions failed to get hold of them.
Authorities received a report about the incident an hour later, at 2:30 p.m. The personnel of the Sibonga Police Station, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion Central Visayas conducted the search, and they later found the bodies of Recoy and Adrian
The two brothers were rushed to Deiparine Community Hospital where they were pronounced dead by attending doctors.