Man drowns trying to save sister

CEBU, Philippines — A 28-year-old man died trying to save his 15-year-old sister who was trapped in the cave spring in Barangay Danicop, Antequera Town, Bohol Province, last Friday evening.

Earlier, the girl went to the cave with three male companions, one aged 18 and the two others 16.

According to Jacinto Quimson of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in the Municipality of Antequera, it was the 18-year-old who invited them to enter the inner part of the Tubang cave and spring which had a narrow and deep passageway.

After swimming in, the girl became traumatized and was afraid to swim back out. This resulted in her and two companions becoming trapped because they couldn’t easily pass by her.

“Didtong dapita safe ra sila, ang nakakuan lang kay dili sila makalusot tungod sa babaye nga na-trauma pero og sila ra duha nga lalake okay ra makabalik ra sila…Na-trauma siya sa ila sigurong giagian then lisod man gud ikuan ang trauma kung dili nimo i-stress de briefing,” said Quimson.

The incident was immediately reported to the authorities, so the fire department, the police, and the disaster team of Antequera conducted a search and rescue operation.

When her companions noticed lights from those who came to rescue them, they somehow managed to swim out, leaving the 15-year-old girl alone.

The girl’s brother Larry Cruz, 28, asked to go get her, which rescuers allowed. They tied a rope around him, told him to tug on the rope when he was ready to be pulled out, and then he went to get her. But after 12 minutes of getting no response, they pulled him back out only to find he was no longer breathing.

He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Rescuers eventually decided to ask the Philippine Coast Guard to help because they were not experts in diving and didn’t have enough equipment.

PCG personnel eventually got to the girl, but the rescue couldn’t be carried out easily. After initially refusing to swim out with rescuers she was given chocolate and played a recording of her mother’s voice. She was eventually rescued from the cave around 1 a.m. yesterday and is now recovering in the hospital.