Fisherman killed by dynamite

A fisherman died when the dynamite stick he was about to throw exploded in his hand while he was fishing at the seawaters off sitio Looc, barangay Tayud, Consolacion town, Saturday afternoon.

Police identified the fatality as Armando Pepito, 43, a resident of the place.

His fellow fisherman Gilbert Geronimo, 22, told policemen he and Pepito were fishing with others around last Saturday afternoon when he lit a dynamite stick and prepared to throw it into the sea when it exploded.

The explosion threw Pepito's body into the sea. His fellow fishermen tried to find his body but failed because of the thick smoke and the murky water.

The fatality's badly mangled body only surfaced around 8:00 a.m. yesterday and was found by the fishermen who carried on the search. His hands were torn off and his entrails were gutted by the blast.

PO1 Romeo Esto, desk officer, yesterday told The Freeman that there were many of them who were fishing together with the fatality but he was alone in his banca with the dynamite at the time.

"Wala nila dayon makit-i ang biktima kay ni aso human sa pagboto unya lubog pa gyud ang dagat atong higayona," Esto said.

He also said that they learned that Pepito often fished with dynamite, which is illegal.

"Mao naman nay iyang naandan, ang paggamit og dinamita unya nakabawos pud ang kinaiyahan, patay pud siya," Esto said. - Norvie S. Misa