The Holy Week vacation wasn’t all good times. According to a report by Inquirer.net, a total of 19 vacationers perished in tragic accidents in parts of Laguna, Cavite, Quezon, and Batangas.
A majority of the fatalities died in boating accidents, while the rest fell victim to drowning.
At least 2 of the 19 fatalites were kids who died in boating accidents in Quezon province and Laguna Lake. The boat ferrying 12-year-old Junrex Dilao to the Burias Group of Islands in Masbate reportedly capsized due to strong waves. Junrex and his family simply wanted to go to the picturesque white beach for a picnic.
Four passengers were rescued from the capsized boat, while four others are still missing, reports say.
The child who drowned in Laguna lake was 7-year old Jonalyn Procopio. The boat she was traveling on also capsized. According to Laguna Action Center’s Rommel Palacol, the outrigger boat was most likely overloaded. A total of 16 passengers were on board. They were headed to Jala-jala, Rizal for a trek.
Palacol recalled to the Inquirer how one passenger sat on the boat’s edge, trying to joke and play a prank on another passenger, causing the boat to overloaded vessel to tilt and capsize.
As of April 17, a total of 12 passengers have been rescued.
photo: Binan Today
Drowning accidents reported on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
10 more cases of drowning were reported in various provinces, according to the Inquirer. Of this number, four were young kids.
7-year-old Limeah Cabral drowned while swimming in a creek on Maundy Thursday. That same day, in Catanauan, Quezon, 5-year-old John Michael Castillo also perished in a drowning accident in Tayabas bay.
The next day, in Batangas, Girlie Talag, 6, drowned at Rosman Beach resort. In Tayabas City, 10-year-old JV Kim Dimaalihan drowned at the Palm Ville Subdivision club house swimming pool.
How to protect kids from drowning while on vacation
Moms and dads, summer is far from over. With all your out of town trips and activities lined up, don’t take for granted the real threat of drowning. Protect you and your kids by remembering these things:
1. When in doubt, get out
It’s important to be extra paranoid. Read up thoroughly on your chosen destination. If you’re travelling to an island or beach by boat, find out if the waves normally high in the area. Schedule your trip during a time when the ocean is usually calm (though it is sometimes difficult to predict this). If you feel a boat is overloaded, don’t push it. It’s better to be inconvenienced for a short while than to risk the boat tipping over in a freak accident.
2. Drowning is silent
Drowning does not appear like drowning. It is silent. Just because you don’t hear screams or crying, it does not mean your child is not drowning. Keep a close eye on kids, even if they’re swimming in a small, kiddie pool.
Watch out for these subtle signs:
- Head submerged or low in the water
- Mouth is submerged
- Head titled upwards with mouth open
- Glassy or closed eyes
- Hair covering forehead or eyes
- Gasping or hyperventilating
- Trying to swim but unable to move
- Struggling to flip onto one’s back
- Flailing as if climbing an “invisible ladder”
3. Master CPR
- You must only use two fingers for babies and for children, use only one hand. (This is so that you won’t crack their ribs due to too much pressure.)
- Compress the baby/child’s chest at a maximum of 1/3 of their body’s depth.
- Compress their chest 30 times and and follow it up with two rescue breaths.
- DON’T TILT THEIR HEAD BACK. Unlike adults, doing this can actually obstruct their airway. Raise their head by placing a hand on your baby/child’s forehead until it’s level.
- Breathe into the baby’s mouth and nose using your mouth.
- Do 30 compressions again along with two rescue breaths until the baby or child is revived.
For a full tutorial on how to perform CPR on babies and small children, watch this video.
READ: Will you know when your child is REALLY drowning?
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