ALAMINOS CITY , Philippines – The body of a treasure hunter was finally retrieved in an 18-meter deep tunnel here last Friday by policemen and barangay officials.
The victim, Rodolfo de la Vega, 41, a resident of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, dug up the tunnel in Barangay Tanaytay along with two companions, namely Lidelito Lafuebla, 60, and Larry Mendoza, 41, supposedly to look for a treasure trove.
However, De la Vega was trapped in the tunnel last Tuesday and his companions reportedly dropped a rope for him to get out but he failed due to exhaustion. Heavy rains then compounded the situation.
Rescuers used three four-horsepower irrigation pumps to pump out rainwater from the tunnel to retrieve De la Vega’s body.
Barangay officials said they were unaware of the treasure hunt in their area.