PLEASE don’t tempt the river spirits.
Four Cordillerans were separately swept by raging rivers all over the region last week and one of them remains missing.
In Abra, Jomar Guillermo Turqueza, 28, was crossing the mighty Malanas River in San Juan, Abra last August 2 with his brother when he fell into the depths. He remains to be found.
The body of a 14-year-old girl who drowned in a river in Tublay town, Benguet Province on July 31 was only retrieved last Aug. 10.
Police said Deserie Lagman Empleo was walking along the banks of the Tuhok River in Barangay Tuel, Tublay with her younger sister when she fell into the river. She was carried away by the strong current that started an immediate recovery mission among neighbors and the police..
Community volunteers and rescue personnel from the Tublay Municipal Police and Bureau of Fire Protection-Tublay discovered the girl’s body on the riverbank of Bantogey River at Barangay Balluan in nearby Sablan town.
Police said the girl’s body was already in a state of advanced decomposition and was brought home to be buried on Thursday.
In Tabuk City, Kalinga, an eight-year-old boy named Sheyne Natarte of Sitio Callagdao, Bulanao Centro in Tabuk City, Kalinga fell into the irrigation canal at about 2:00 P.M. last August 9.
Natarte was found after 17 hours of search and retrieval operation by the side of the irrigation canal at 7:44 the next day. He was retrieved approximately 500 meters away from the area where he fell.
Turqueza actually had a townmate who also drowned last week.
The body of Joseph Luis Barbosa was found in Santa, Ilocos Sur last August 3. Barbosa was found wearing a yellow sando and green shorts.
The only ones found alive was fisherman Romy Dulay, 53, of Balingsay, Bolinao, Pangasinan.
Dulay’s boat was said to have capsized last August 5.
He was found last August 9 by a fisherman and his son from San Esteban alive and floating on a huge styrofoam piece 29 miles off the shore.
Dulay remains in San Esteban and will stay there until he regains his strength.
