Fishing trip shocker

What could have been a relaxing fishing trip for four construction buddies on their rest day turned into tragedy after one of them was electrocuted to death Monday at a swampy area in Valenzuela City.

Police identified the victim as Dominador Colina, single, a resident of Area 6, Maysan, Valenzuela.

Colina expired while being taken to the Valenzuela General Hospital. He succumbed to severe burns caused by a strong electrical charge that ripped through his body.

Colina’s friends Jimmy Lavarias, Romulo Abad, Agusto Pacho could be held responsible for his death, police said.

Initial investigation showed the incident happened around 12 noon when Lavarias, Abad and Pacho trooped to a small swamp inside the Aguiluz Compound along Maisan Road in Valenzuela City.

The trio reportedly intended to catch hito (mudfish) and dalag (catfish) and whatever freshwater fish might stray in the area, not by using the usual fishing and bait but by using an electric probe that was tapping a live Meralco line.

As they quietly waited for their catch to surface, Colina arrived, and without word, wriggled out of his shirt and jumped into the electrically-charged water without knowing what his friends were doing, probers said.

Colina’s friends were petrified and could only watch in horror as he writhed in agony in the water. They fished Colina’s limp body out of the water and rushed him to the nearest hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. – Jerry Botial