By CESAR JOLITO III

Authorities are investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was discovered buried in sand on a seashore at Barangay Tiling in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town on Monday afternoon, February 9.

Initial police investigation revealed that family members had been searching for the child, a Grade 4 student and resident of the area, after the victim failed to return home.

According to the victim’s aunt, they noticed that the sand near the shoreline — where the child was last seen playing — appeared unusually soft.

With the help of others, they dug into the area and discovered the child’s body buried beneath the sand.

The victim was rushed to the Cauayan Health Office, where he was declared dead at 4:50 p.m.

Police have not yet released details on the cause of death and said further investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Authorities are coordinating with relevant offices as part of the inquiry./CJ, WDJ