Woman drowns in falls while posing for photos

CEBU, Philippines - A 21-year-old woman allegedly drowned after striking a pose for a picture while swimming at the Kawasan Falls in Barangay Matutinao, Badian, Cebu Tuesday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Geraldine Indig, of Barangay Patong in the town, and a cashier in one of the stores in Cebu City.

Senior Police Officer 2 Jeremias Elardo of Badian Police Station said last Tuesday, Indig went to Kawasan Falls together with her co-worker and friend Abegail De Guzman, who resides in Cebu City.

According to Elardo, at around 4 p.m. on that day, while Indig was taking a swim in the water, she was also striking poses at the same time as De Guzman took photos of her.

However, Elardo said Indig, who did not know how to swim, was suddenly pushed by the strong current to the deeper part of the falls. De Guzman waited for a few minutes but did not see Indig come out of the water.

“Nalingaw siguro ‘to siya unya napunta sa lawom kay nadala sa tubig unya di kabalo molangoy mao to’ng nahitabo,” said Elardo.

De Guzman asked assistance from other people in the area.

Minutes after, Indig was taken out of the water but she was already unresponsive.

She was immediately brought to Badian District Hospital. However, she was declared dead on arrival.

Elardo said it could be that the more than five-kilometer distance of the hospital from the falls was the reason why Indig died. He added that they even walked a few distance away from the falls to the area where the vehicles were parked to bring Indig to the hospital.

“Kanang lugara, layo pa kaayo na sa hospital. Gikan sa Kawasan Falls, nagbaklay pa daw sila paingon sa sakyanan, gikan sa ilang gisakyan mga sobra pa sa lima ka-kilometro. Wa na g’yud ‘to nadali ug tabang,” he said.

According to the police officer, the second level of the falls where Indig drowned is actually not that deep compared to the other parts of the falls.

It was just that Indig did not know how to swim, he said. — (FREEMAN)