They ignored the villagers warnings
In an unfortunate chain of events, 4 students died in 2 separate drowning incidents in Bulacan last Saturday, January 7.
Villagers warned Jaycie Ronwill Balitaosan, 19, of Meycauayan, and Jericho Burgos, 17, of Bulakan, as well as their friends not to swim in Bakas River in Barangay Matictic, Norzagaray.
They said that the strong currents and high water level made it dangerous to swim the the river at the time. Sadly, they ignored the villagers warnings and went on to swim in the river, causing them to drown.
Their bodies were found on Monday morning, January 9, about 2 kilometers away from where they were reported to have initially drowned.
The girls decided to take a swim in the river
In a separate, but similar incident, 8-year-old Nikki Cruz, and 16-year-old Mykka Nicolas drowned in Angat river in San Rafael, Bulacan.
According to reports, both the girls and some of their relatives went to the river to wash the town's garbage truck. The girls then decided to take a swim in the river, as their relatives were busy.
Sadly, the strong currents in the river swept both the girls away. Mykka's body was recovered a few hours after, while Nikki's body was recovered almost a day after the unfortunate incident.
Go to the next page to learn more about keeping kids safe from drowning.
Do you know what to do to prevent drowning?
For a lot of parents, drowning is a common and terrifying notion. That's why knowing what to do in case your child is drowning is very important.
- Babies and toddlers can drown even in just 5 cm of water. Always make sure that you always keep an eye on your kids whenever you go to the beach or to a pool.
- For younger kids, always stay with your children whenever they're taking a bath. Drowning can be very common in the bathroom if children are left unsupervised.
- Older children, those around 8, still need to be supervised. They can understand instructions, but it's still important to keep an eye on them as they might misjudge how deep the water is and drown.
- Teach your children to swim. A good idea would be to enrol older children in swimming lessons so that they can be comfortable around water. It will also help give you some peace of mind knowing that your child knows how to swim.
Sources: philstar.com, newsinfo.inquirer.net, capt.org.uk
READ: Twin toddlers succumb to drowning accident in backyard swimming pool
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