ILOILO CITY - A victory party at a beach for the winners in the recent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Barangay Malap-ok in Balasan town turned into tragedy last Saturday after five youths drowned while one newly elected youth council member remained missing.
Ana May Langrio, newly elected SK chairman of Barangay Malap-ok, told Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo yesterday afternoon that the fatalities were Mary Ann Langrio, 13; Cielo Arinajo, 14; Risa Arinajo, 16; Eden Aglinao, 16; and Mary Ann Labinghisa, 16.
The victims were mostly supporters of the SK winners who were celebrating their victory at the beach party at the Buendia Beach Resort in Barangay Barosbos in Carles town.
SK councilor Lovelyn Bullos remained missing as of yesterday and rescue teams are still conducting search and rescue operations.
Doctors at the Jesus Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan declared the five victims dead on arrival.
The victims are among those who attended the joint victory swimming party of the newly elected barangay and SK officials.
Langrio said that the SK candidates and their supporters had agreed to hold a beach party if they win in the elections.
She said that the group went swimming after eating lunch. The boys carried the six girls on their shoulders. All of the girls do not know how to swim.
She said the tide was still low and the water was not deep when the group walked towards a fishing boat that was anchored about 300 meters away from the shoreline.
“The water wasn’t deep yet at that time,” Langrio recalled.
After some time, a fisherman reportedly advised the youths to go back to shore because the high tide will return.
The groups headed back to shore but halfway from the beach, the tide suddenly surged towards them and the water was already deep.
The boys could no longer hold on to the girls and the victims were separated from the boys.
“It was then that they drowned,” Langrio said.
She said that two other girls – Rey Ann Salle and Jeanette Salvador – were rescued.