A 54-YEAR-OLD fisherman drowned in the seawaters off Sitio Pantalan, Barangay South Poblacion, San Fernando town, Cebu.
Police Officer 2 Edsel Ricablanca identified the fatality as Demetrio Montealto, whom investigators believed to have drowned on Tuesday evening, December 19.
A neighbor found Montealto's body at 5:30 a.m., Wednesday, December 20.
Investigation showed that on Tuesday night, the neighborhood held a Christmas party. Fishermen and motorboats' owners with their families joined in the revelry.
Montealto had gotten drunk. He was last seen sleeping on the wharf past 10 p.m. A fellow fisherman tried to wake him up, but he failed.
Ricablanca said Montealto possibly fell into the sea while asleep.
Investigators did not find any foul play behind the incident, saying there were instances in the past that the drunken fisherman would sleep on the pavement.
Ricablanca said Montealto's relatives decided not to bring the body to the hospital, but straight to a funeral parlor. (KAL/SunStar Cebu)