RT LIM, Zamboanga Sibugay — Five Grade 11 students of Surabay National High School have died after they were swept away by strong currents while swimming in a river in Purok Santan, Barangay New Antique, RT Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The fifth victim, a female student identified as Mayka Baynosa, was recovered on the morning of Friday, September 25, after an overnight search and retrieval operation.
The tragedy began shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday, when 11 Grade 11 students reportedly went to the river to swim.
According to information from the Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Office, heavy rain suddenly fell while the students were in the river. The rainfall caused the water level to rise and the current to become increasingly strong, reportedly sweeping several of the students downstream.
Six students survived the incident and were brought to the RT Lim Municipal Police Station for assistance and documentation.
The first reported recovery was that of a male victim identified as Dave Cahilig, whose body was found downstream from the area where the students had reportedly been swimming.
At around 8:20 p.m. Thursday, rescuers recovered three more bodies—two female students and another male student—bringing the number of recovered victims to four by Thursday night.
Search and retrieval operations continued through the night and into Friday morning as rescuers worked to locate the remaining missing student.
On Friday morning, rescuers located Baynosa in Barangay President Rojas, where her body had reportedly become caught in vegetation or debris along a rice field beside the river.
With the recovery of Baynosa, all five students initially reported missing after being swept away were accounted for as deceased, while the six survivors remained under the care and assistance of authorities.
The recovered bodies were expected to be brought to Villababas Funeral Home for proper disposition, according to authorities.
Personnel of the RT Lim Municipal Police Station, local rescuers and other concerned agencies took part in the search and retrieval operation.
Authorities are continuing to document the incident and determine the circumstances surrounding the students’ presence in the river, including the sudden heavy rainfall and rapid increase in water level and current that preceded the tragedy.
The incident highlights the danger posed by rivers and other waterways during sudden heavy rainfall, when water levels and currents can change rapidly with little warning.