GEN. TINIO, Nueva Ecija – Two teenaged students died of drowning in a river channel at the Minalungao National Park in Barangay Pias here at about 2 p.m. Sunday.
Police identified the victims as Joshua Mallare, 17, of Sitio Pahalang, Barangay San Pedro and Romnick Bote, 16, of Barangay Pulong Matong, both of this town.
The two were Grade 10 students, police said.
Investigation disclosed the victims went to the park along with three other companions for “swimming or group bonding.” They were swamped by strong currents of water at around 2 p.m.
“One of the companions immediately rushed to the nearest village to seek help,” said SSgt. Jeffrey Pineda, police investigator.
A former lifeguard of the park, Jayson Fajardo, retrieved the bodies of the victims from the “deep portion of the said river (already) lifeless,” Pineda said.
The park has been closed since the pandemic was declared in 2020.
