Farmer found dead up coconut tree

CEBU - A farmer who also served as a barangay tanod of Tinubdan, Daanbantayan town, was found dead by a fellow farmer still clinging to a coconut tree last Friday afternoon around 2 p.m.

The fatality was identified as Felix Casinillo, 62, a widower, and a resident of the said place.

Based on the investigation by Daanbantayan policemen, Pedro Buangjug said that he first saw the victim around 7:30 a.m. that day harvesting his coconut trees while he was also harvesting his own plants.

Buangjug said he was later surprised to find the victim still in the same position on the same tree around 1 p.m. later that day. He said he called out to the fatality who did not respond.

Buangjug said he suspected that something might be wrong and called their barangay captain Juanito Ybañez. Ybañez called out to the fatality also did not get any response.

Ybañez then called the police station of Daanbantayan which immediately sent SPO2 Nero Manzanares, PO3 Mamerto Gastador and PO1 Henry Compuesto.

They climbed up the tree, tied a rope around the fatality’s waist and brought him down to the ground.

“Wala man hinuon mi nakita nga foul play sa kamatayon sa biktima,” PO1 Alfredo Mandal of the Daanbantayan police said.

The police officers brought the fatality to Daanbantayan District Hospital but where Dr. Mario Fernandez declared him dead and said he might have died of heart failure due to cardiac attack while he was up the coconut tree.

Mandal also said that the fatality’s relatives confirmed that he had a history of cardiac arrest. — Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)