Two teenage beachgoers drown in La Union

LA UNION: The Philippine Coast Guard here, with the help of fishermen in the area, have recovered one of the two missing drowning victims in the vicinity of Pugo, Bauang coasts Monday.

C/ Ins. Artemio Infante, chief of the Bauang Municipal Police Station, said that they found the body of Cecil Asiong, 13, of Beckel, La Trinidad, Benguet. Asiong has been missing since Sunday when she and her companions, Gemmalyn Martinez, 14; Janette Tomas, 13; Kimberly Maranes, 12; and Bernadette Manuel, 12, relatives and also residing in Beckel, Trinidad, Benguet, went swimming in Baccuit Sur at around 10 AM, Sunday.

Gemmalyn was declared dead on arrival at the Ilocos Training Regional Medical Center while the three others are confined at the said hospital.

The victims were in a group which came down from Benguet riding in a van and a jeep and headed straight to the beach to swim.

Beach authorities reported later that seawaters in the area were in high tide and had strong waves at that time when the victims went swimming. Lifeguards were able to save the three survivors.

Bauang Municipal Mayor Eulogio Martin de Guzman III was alarmed at the series of drowning incidents prompting him to request the municipal council to enact an ordinance that obligates all beach resort owners to employ their own lifeguards to protect beachgoers from drowning.

“We did all what we can do to warn beachgoers and to remind them of the dangers,” he said.

He also proposed to remove cheap and smaller beach cottages that were luring visitors to rent them even as no lifeguards were present.

Last December, two victims died of drowning while several others more, however, survived. They were all residents of the upland province of Benguet.

WILLIAM JUN GARCIA