A beach outing meant to celebrate academic achievements turned into a tragedy when a 16-year-old honor student drowned on Monday, April 21.
The incident occurred around noon at a resort in Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Tuyom, Carcar City, Cebu. The victim, known as alias Mark, was a resident of Lower Tawog, Barangay Valladolid. According to police reports, he and his classmates arrived at the resort around 10 a.m. to mark both their academic honors and a classmate’s birthday.
Despite a warning from a local named Berna to avoid venturing too far, the group reportedly swam to an area approximately 300 meters from their cottage, near a large rock. It was during their return when the drowning incident happened.
Two female criminology students attempted to save Mark and performed CPR, but he was later declared dead. His classmates, alias Kim, 16, and alias Jade, 18, survived the incident.
In an interview with Brigada News FM Cebu, the victim’s mother, alias Lyn, tearfully shared that her son had been an honor student from kindergarten to Grade 11 and did not know how to swim.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident as the family grieves the loss of a promising young student.
