Magpet, Cotabato — Two tragic drowning incidents claimed the lives of a toddler and a father in separate but equally heartbreaking events in Magpet, Cotabato last Saturday morning.
In Barangay Kamada, a 2-year-old girl drowned while bathing in a river near their home with her 5-year-old cousin. According to information gathered by Radyo BIDA, the two children were playing in the river when the younger child was swept away by the current. The older cousin returned home alone and told their family that the toddler had been carried off by the river.
Her body was later recovered, entangled in bamboo a few meters downstream. Family members rushed her to the Rural Health Unit in a desperate attempt to save her, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Meanwhile, in another part of Magpet, along the boundary of Barangays Doles and Poblacion, a heroic act ended in tragedy when a father lost his life saving his daughter and niece from drowning in the Rico River. The victim, identified as Ronie Castillo, a resident of Poblacion, managed to rescue his 13-year-old daughter and 14-year-old niece after they were caught by the river’s strong current.
However, after ensuring the girls’ safety, Castillo reportedly hit his head on a rock and lost consciousness. He remained underwater for about ten minutes before being pulled out. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
The Magpet community is mourning the loss of both lives, one a young child whose future was abruptly taken, and the other a father hailed as a hero for his selfless act of bravery.