Teacher ‘drowns’ in pool during Christmas party

CEBU, Philippines – It was supposed to be a day of merrymaking but it turned to be a day of mourning for the family and friends of a public high school teacher who drowned Friday afternoon in a resort swimming pool in Barangay Macaas, Catmon town.

Catmon police identified the fatality as Rolando Almacera Gulane, 51, of Barangay Poblacion, Medellin town and a teacher at Almacen-Torevillas National High School in the same town.

 Police Officer 1Tirso Coming of Catmon Police Station said that Gulane was with his fellow teachers at Aroma Mountain Resort to celebrate their Christmas party.

Gulane, like the other teachers, enjoyed the party, and after lunch, he told his co-teachers that he would take a swim at the pool.

While the other teachers were enjoying the party, Paul Carlo Monera, pool maintenance, noticed someone floating at the pool so he jumped into the water to try to save him.

Monera pulled Gulane and then administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation but his efforts turned futile.

The resort management called for an ambulance and Gulane was brought to Juan B. Dosado Memorial Hospital in Sogod town but the attending physician pronounced him dead on arrival.

To erase doubts of foul play, the police have urged the family of the teacher to subject his body to an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. —/JMD (FREEMAN)