Man found dead after falling off motor banca

CEBU - A half-naked man was found dead in the seawaters off barangay Bantigue, Bantayan town last Tuesday morning.

Fisherman Cepriano Villaceran Espina, 39, said he was fishing at the time when he saw something suspicious. He later found out it was a dead man and brought the body to the Bantayan wharf and called the police.

PO3 Raul Hernaiz and PO2 Eric Ilustrisimo responded along with Bantayan health officer Dr. Liza Rivera. 

The body, which was wearing just a Navy blue T-shirt, was described as 5’2” tall, 25 to 40 years old, had black hair and a mustache and beard. He had a dragon tattoo in his right arm.

But yesterday, someone named Erlinda Rivera identified the body as that of Elmer Travo, 27, a beautician, of Higatangan Island, Naval, Biliran.

Erlinda said the victim was with her and a few others when she went via motor banca to fetch her son in Naval Biliran. 

The trip from Higatangan Island to the Naval usually took an hour and they ate and drank liquor in the plaza of Naval before they went back home. 

The victim was already drunk and sat in the rear of the motor banca when they started back home around 9 p.m., but somewhere along the way he suddenly disappeared.

They tried to find the victim until 1 a.m. but after seeing no sign of him they went home and reported the matter to the police. It was only later when Erlinda heard over the radio that a man had been found dead and decided to go see if it was her missing friend.

Police said an autopsy showed no signs of foul play and that the fatality had died by drowning. — Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)