2 kids drown in CamNor; elder sister feared dead

MERCEDES, Camarines Norte — Three young siblings, aged 4 to 9, were swept out into the sea after their father lost grip of them after getting off his fishing boat near the beach in Barangay 4, this town the other night, police said.

Yesterday the bodies of sixyear-old Jommel Sierra and his four-year-old brother James were retrieved separately by search and rescue personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Police Maritime Group (PMG), and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of this town.

The Search and Rescue Operations (SRO) were launched immediately after the accident involving fisherman Jerry P. Sierra, 45, and his three children was reported at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.

But it was already morning of yesterday when James’s body was fished out in waters off Barangay San Roque and Jommel was found near the shore of Barangay 6, here.

Citing the police investigation, Jude Hernandez of the MDRRMO said Sierra had a little too much to drink at a birthday party in a coastal barangay when he and his kids went home on board his fishing boat.

Upon nearing the shore at 7 p.m., Sierra got off the boat and clutched his children James, Jommel and nine-year-old Jasmine, but he stumbled amid the strong current and lost grip of all of them, police said.

He immediately sought help from people at the fish port, but it was dark and difficult to locate the three children.

Chief Inspector Charles de Leon, local police chief, said Sierra seemed to suffer from trauma and could hardly recall how many children he actually had with him because he had drank himself into a stupor just before the accident happened.

Hernandez said the search for Jasmine was still ongoing as of press time yesterday.

Meanwhile, a total of 40 fishermen were successfully rescued after Fishing Banca “Junel Enzo” capsized in waters near Pandan, Catanduanes last Saturday.

The incident was reported to Coast Guard Station Catanduanes, which immediately sent out its rescue vessel to verify the said report.

While on its way, CGSS Pandan learned that 15 passengers of the ill-fated banca had been rescued by a passing fishing vessel. The 25 remaining passengers were then rescued by the joint rescue team.