They failed to find Jesselle
Jesselle Vien Pilande, 10 years old, was reportedly playing with her friends on the banks of the Pasig River near Poblacion, Makati, when she lost her balance and fell into the river.
Her playmate said that she immediately asked for help from their parents, but they failed to find Jesselle.
Officials of Barangay Poblacion, as well as members of the Philippine Coast Guard were eventually tasked with trying to find Jesselle, but they were unable to find her.
Her mother feels responsible for what happened
The coast guard stopped their search and rescue operations around midnight since it was dark, and the river had a strong current, but they immediately resumed their search at 5 a.m.
Meanwhile, Jesselle's mother feels somewhat responsible for what happened to her daughter, since during the time of the accident, she was working as maintenance staff in a school in order to support her family.
She's still hopeful that they will be able to find her daughter alive. She also appealed authorities to make sure that the area around Pasig river is secure so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.
Tips for keeping your kids safe
Safety is always a top priority for parents. That's why even if you're not with your kids, there are some things that you can do and teach them so that they're always safe.
- Teach them to keep away from dangerous places. Accidents can easily be prevented if your kids learn to avoid dangerous places such as heights, or in the story's case, the side of a river.
- Tell your kids to keep away from suspicious people. While being friendly with people is important, it's just as important to teach your kids to stay away from people who seem suspicious or might have bad intentions.
- If they're playing outside, make sure that they try to not play on the street where they can get run over by oncoming traffic.
- If they're riding their bikes, they should always wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road so that they're always safe.
- When going out with friends, ask them to tell you where they're going as well as what time they're going home. It's important for kids to always tell their parents where they're going. That way, if they get into trouble, their parents know where to go.
Source: gmanetwork.com, articles.extension.org
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