MARIVELES, Bataan — A tour guide who accidentally fell Thursday off a deep ravine of the Tarak Ridge, a portion of Mount Mariveles in Barangay Alas-Asin here, was reported dead Saturday morning on the site.
“Ang nagbato sa amin ng balita na patay na ay iyong kasama niya doon nagbabantay. Talagang kinomfirm niya, patay na,” said Florencio Flumer, member of the Alas-Asin Quick Rescue Team under the barangay disaster risk reduction management office.
He said that when they left barangay tour guide Michael Tanasas, 37, with other rescuers on Friday, the victim was still alive but suffering from severe head and body injuries.
Flumer’s group was the first to arrive in the area where the victim landed that the rescuer said was more or less 30 feet deep from the cliff.
Alas-Asin barangay kagawad PJ Ramos, tourism committee chair, said village chairman Dante Malimban directed the BDRRMO and other barangay officials to exert all efforts with other rescue workers to help the victim.
A helicopter was sent to try to get the wounded tour guide but found it hard to land due to strong winds.
“Talagang aksidente ang nangyari sa kanya, yung kinakapitan niyang baging aksidenteng nataga niya kaya siya nalaglag na more or less 30 feet ang taas,” Flumer said. He said the victim with two other tour guides were in the area to prepare trails.
“May nakaabot namang Red Cross kaya lang talagang sa hirap ng daan hindi namin maibaba. Kami ang unang pumunta, talagang pagdating namin doon sa area noong kinalaglagan, sabi ko nga doon sa dalawang kasama bumaba na kayo doon, humingi kayo ng rescue hindi kailangan ng tao, kailangan chopper,” he said.
“Walang daan na pwedeng daanan, palanas lang talaga. Hindi siya pwedeng buhatin pababa wala namang pagkakapitan,” Flumer added.
He said that it takes five hours to reach the site from Alas-Asin. “Iyon ang tinatawag na dulo ng Papaya River kung tawagin ay Ambon-Ambon Falls dahil tatlong falls iyon magkakasunod. Hindi pinapapasok, ipinagbabawal namin doon, bawal ang mga hiker doon kasi delikadong lugar.”
“Ngayon gumagawa sila ng trail para tinitingnan kung pupwedeng madaanan. Ang binagsakan niya ilog na batuhan,” Flumer said.
