Nine-year-old girl drowns in Talisay

CEBU, Philippines - A supposed jovial celebration of a birthday party held at a beach resort in barangay Cansojong, Talisay City, last Wednesday night turned into mourning when one of the guests drowned.

Police identified the drowning victim as Julie Mae Agraviador, 9, a resident of sitio Tagunol, barangay Pardo, Cebu City.

Julie Mae was brought to the Talisay City District Hospital in barangay San Isidro, but her physicians declared her dead on arrival.

Bernadith Agraviador, 27, and Vicenta Agraviador, 55, aunt and grandmother of the victim, told police they arrived at the beach resort at 9 in the morning of that day to celebrate the birthday of Bernadith’s five-year-old daughter. Among the guests were Julie Mae, her parents, and her two younger siblings: a one-year-old and a two-year-old.

At 5:50 p.m. Julie Mae’s parents asked that they should leave already

after one of their younger children became ill.

While the rest of her family left, Julie Mae was allowed to stay with the promise from Bernadith that she would look after her.

But five minutes after her parents had left, a commotion ensued after

news of a drowned child circulated within where the Agraviadors were.

Both Bernadith and Vicenta said they were surprised to learn that the

victim was Julie Mae.  (FREEMAN)