Boy “struck” by lightning; three missing after floods

CEBU, Philippines - A 15-year-old boy died after reportedly being hit by lightning in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City while three other high school students in Argao town went missing amid the bad weather yesterday.

The boy, identified as William Gabijan, suffered burns in his back and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital after he was reportedly hit by lightning at Sitio Nangka, Barangay Guadalupe.

The incident was logged at the city’s Command Center which monitors the city’s disaster-prone areas.

Cristy Miñoza, a barangay tanod in Guadalupe, told The Freeman that the boy was with his deaf-mute friend and were bathing in the rain past 1 p.m. in a vacant lot when a lightning struck a coconut tree near Gabijan’s location.

Miñoza said the boy’s deaf-mute friend immediately sought for help and the residents later found Gabijan facing down.

According to Miñoza, when they arrived with the ambulance, the boy had burns on his back. He was declared dead by attending physicians at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Three missing in Argao

Meanwhile, in Argao town, three high school students of Calagasan National High School went missing after they were reportedly thrown into the river while crossing the spillway in Barangay Lower Linut-od past 4 p.m.

Police Officer 3 Benjamin Geyrozaga of Argao Police Station identified the missing students as Caroline Marson,15, and her neighbor Ritchelle Ann Pasaje,15, both from Barangay Canbantog, Earl Kyle Sarbido, 13, of Barangay Linut-od was also missing.

Geyrozaga said the students were on their way home after their class when the accident happened.

The students have to cross a river between Lower Linut-od and Barangay Canbantog through the spillway which also serves as a bridge for light vehicles.

According to Geyrozaga, light to moderate rain was experienced in the area but the nearby mountain barangays were experiencing heavy downpour bringing more water into the river.

“Padung na ni sila uli nilabang sa spillway, wala sila kabantay nga nay kusog nga flashflood mao nangaanod,” Geyrozaga.

A search and rescue operation was made but the heavy downpour and the darkness hampered the operation.

As of press time, barangay tanods and the relatives of the missing students were still scouring down the river up to Barangay Poblacion where the mouth of the river is located.  (FREEMAN)