NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — Police are convinced that a wildlife biologist who died while trekking on Mt. Apo suffered a heart attack.
Superintendent Aldrin Gonzalez, Soccsksargen police spokesman, said James Alvarez, 27, of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna suffered nausea and complained of shortness of breath before he passed out.
Gonzalez said the trek of Alvarez and his team, supposedly to study endemic animal and bird species on the mountain, was coordinated with Joey Recimilla, tourism officer of Kidapawan City.
Gonzalez said they would facilitate an autopsy if the family of Alvarez would ask for it.