Man drowns after trying to save 2 kids

CEBU, Philippines - A 27-year-old man drowned after he tried to save two children from drowning at Larawan Beach, Barangay Poblacion in Talisay City, around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Benjamin Purisima, a resident of Barangay Maghaway, Talisay City, was at the beach with his employer who was celebrating his son’s birthday.

According to Purisima’s mother, Aurelia, her son did not know how to swim but when he saw the two kids about to drown, he immediately tried to save them.

The two children, one of which is the employer’s son, were safely taken out of the water but Purisima was swallowed up by the waves.

"Dako kaayo ang bawod nihapak niya, nadala siya sa lawom. Eventually, naunlod siya," said City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Head Alvin Santillana whose team responded to the distress call.

He said that after receiving the alarm, rescuers immediately conducted a search and rescue operation, but when there was no sign of Purisima by 4:30 p.m., the operation was changed to search and retrieval.

Erick Nuñez, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, discovered the body of the victim floating along the seawall along Malayan beach yesterday morning, 19 hours after he went missing and 300 meters away from where he was last seen.

The family of the victim positively identified the dead body as that of Purisima.

According to Talisay City Social Welfare and Development Head Felipa Solana, they have processed burial assistance for Purisima’s family.

"Wala nabayaran ang family didto sa funeral parlor," she said.

Santillana reminds the public to refrain from swimming in the sea because of the large waves brought by Typhoon Gorio. (FREEMAN)