By CESAR JOLITO III

A 33-year-old man was found dead on Wednesday morning, February 11, after he was swept away by strong currents while attempting to cross a river in Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town.

The victim was identified as Jeremy Tanato, also known as Tonato, a resident of the town’s Barangay Macagahay.

Police and disaster officials said the incident happened at around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 10, when Tanato tried to cross a portion of the Binalbagan River.

According to Moises Padilla police and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the river’s current was unusually strong at the time, causing Tanato to lose his footing and be carried downstream.

Rescue teams immediately conducted search and rescue operations on Tuesday, but the victim was not located before nightfall.

At around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Tanato’s body was discovered by a resident of Barangay 4.

Authorities promptly retrieved the remains and turned them over to law enforcement officers for proper handling.

The body was brought to a local funeral parlor in Moises Padilla, where arrangements are being coordinated with the victim’s family./CJ, WDJ