By CESAR JOLITO III

A five-year-old girl died in a drowning incident in Negros Occidental’s Don Salvador Benedicto town on Black Saturday, April 4.

The incident occurred at around 11:36 a.m. at Bago River in Barangay Bunga’s Purok Mahogany but was reported to police nearly an hour later, at about 12:35 p.m.

Police said the victim, a resident of Barangay Bagong Silang in the town, was with her family and friends swimming in the river when she suddenly went missing.

Her father told investigators that they immediately searched the area upon noticing her absence.

The child was later found submerged underwater.

She was rushed to the Don Salvador Benedicto Municipal Health Unit for emergency treatment, but medical personnel found her unresponsive.

She was then transported by Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office responders to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Police are continuing their investigation while reminding the public, especially parents and guardians, to exercise close supervision of children during outings near bodies of water./CJ, WDJ