An 11-year-old boy was found dead in the Ipil River in Trinidad on Thursday morning, almost 20 hours after he was seen swept away by the river’s current.
The fatality, John (note his real name), a Grade 2 pupil of the Trinidad Central Elementary School and a resident of Barangay Guinubatan, was about to swim in the river when he accidentally slipped and hit his head on the ground before falling into the river, said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fuentes of the Trinidad Police Station.
John was with another 11-year-old boy, Mark (not his real name), during the incident in Barangay Poblacion, Trinidad at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Feuntes said that John grabbed Mark’s hand forcing him to go swimming with him but he instead slipped and fell into the river.
Mark asked for help from one Teodoro Augis, who was not able to save John as the boy was already swept away by the current.
Augis instead alerted the authorities who in turn conducted a search and rescue operation, but to no avail as the boy was not found.
John’s lifeless body turned up the next day as it was seen by passersby floating near the riverbank at past 10 a.m.
They recovered the boy’s remains which were turned over to the authorities. (AD)