On Sunday, May 1, a joyful outing turned tragic when a nine-year-old child was washed away by a strong water current in St. Anthony Falls in Barangay Tambo Malaki.
The sandbag barrier near the waterfalls collapsed, generating a violent water flow, according to Staff Sgt. Jimver Zorenne Dimapilis of the Indang Municipal Police Station.
Visitors panicked in the rushing water, according to a video posted on Facebook by Ejay Pearubia Catibayan.
Gabriel Mortera was swept away by the waves with his mother and older brother.
“Yakap naman po ng tita ko yung bata, inaagos na sila, nawalan po ng malay yung tita ko (My aunt was hugging the kid, they were swept away, my aunt lost consciousness,” Mortera’s cousin, Daniel Zapanta, told the Manila Bulletin.
“Ang akala ng tita ko patay na rin sya. Ang sumunod nyang naalala, nailigtas na sya, pero hindi na niya po alam kung nasaan si Gabby (My aunt thought she had died. The next thing she knew, she was being rescued, but she did not know where Gabby was).”
Boy dies in St. Anthony Falls tragedy in Cavite
After an hour of searching and rescuing, authorities discovered Mortera, but he was pronounced dead at M. Medical Center V. Santiago.
The police are investigating the cause of the sandbag barrier collapsing in the public resort.
In September 2021, three people died in a flash flood in Tinubdan Falls in Cebu. While swimming, the river swelled due to rushing water from the mountains, carrying family members into the waterfall area.
In August 2020, Jhezz Maria Naraga Gementiza, also known as “Bohol Lady Rider” died in a flash flood occured while she was swimming with some friends at Kilab-Kilab Falls in Barangay Caimbang, San Isidro, Bohol.
According to reports, the “Bohol Lady Rider,” an events model, “Tiktoker,” and a well-known social media celebrity in the region, went missing when floodwaters erupted in the area. Responders discovered her lifeless body hours later.
A flash flood occurs in a short period, usually less than 6 hours, due to severe or extreme rainfall. Flash floods are typically defined by violent torrents that burst across river beds, city streets, or mountain valleys, sweeping everything in their path.
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