MASANTOL — A father and his three-year-old daughter drowned in the portion of Pampanga River in this town over the weekend.
Paul Magat, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the victims’ family was crossing the Pampanga River by boat on Sunday when the vessel capsized.
He said the passengers included the 29-year-old father, Jomarie Dumanacal, his wife, and their three children, including the other fatality, Maris Dumanacal.
“Tumatawid po sila mula Barangay Bebe Anac papuntang Nigui pero nung nasa may bandang San Agustin na po sila, tumigil daw po ang bangka at habang inaayos, natumba na po,” Magat said.
“‘Yung nanay po at dalawang bata nakalangoy sila at ligtas pero ‘yung tatay, nililigtas daw ang bunsong anak hanggang sa hindi na nila makita,” Magat added.
He said that the MDRRMO and the Philippine Coast Guard promptly launched a search, rescue, and retrieval operation upon receiving the reports.
But the responding failed to locate the victims until the following day.
Magat said they found the baby’s body around 1PM on Monday in Barangay Bagang.
The father’s body was retrieved at around 5 PM on the same day.
“Malakas po talaga ang current sa Pampanga River during those times,” the MDRRMO chief said.