27 December 2005
2 drown in Dagupan beach due to high waves
TWO persons drowned one after the other in two days while swimming in Bonuan Binloc Blue Beach within Tondaligan Park here due to deadly high waves, spawned by a wind surge in the Lingayen Gulf.
This was disclosed by Tondaligan Park Administrator Dino Zabala who said the high waves that reached over eight feet, are also threatening to destroy some 100 for-rent picnic sheds, doubling as videoke bars along the shoreline, also within the park area here.
The wind surge was reportedly felt in adjacent provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur and as far west as Bolinao, Pangasinan.
Zabala said the body of a 22-year old student from barangay Doyong, Calasiao who drowned Saturday has not yet been found by rescue teams. An unconfirmed report said a body drifted in the shoreline of the island barangay of Pugaro in Dagupan City at presstime.
Another victim of drowning was Jeffrey Cariño of Baguio City who drowned Sunday when he and companions dropped by the Tondaligan to swim after attending a wedding of their relative in Malasiqui town and on their way back home.
Zabala said Cariño was pulled under by strong undercurrent while swimming. He said the victim was rescued after two minutes and given artificial respiration but was nevertheless declared dead on arrival at the Region 1 Medical Center.
Cariño rented a floating life saver but due to the big waves, he lost his grip on the device and was lost in the water momentarily. When he was finally rescued, there was difficulty reviving him.
Zabala explained that the wind surge that spawned high waves and threatens to wash away some 100 makeshift picnic sheds are just a normal occurrence during the months of December and January in the Lingayen Gulf.
The same high waves destroyed five houses made of light materials in sitio Bagong Barrio in barangay Bonuan Gueset, near Tondaligan Park last Saturday night. Their occupants were evacuated to the village’s multi-purpose gymnasium.
He said some of these picnic sheds were vacated by their owners after these were swamped by the waves, damaging their videoke sound systems, television sets, chinawares, utensils and other properties.
Some of these are now putting sand bags as high as five feet to block the big waves from hitting their establishments, Zabala said.
This was disclosed by Tondaligan Park Administrator Dino Zabala who said the high waves that reached over eight feet, are also threatening to destroy some 100 for-rent picnic sheds, doubling as videoke bars along the shoreline, also within the park area here.
The wind surge was reportedly felt in adjacent provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur and as far west as Bolinao, Pangasinan.
Zabala said the body of a 22-year old student from barangay Doyong, Calasiao who drowned Saturday has not yet been found by rescue teams. An unconfirmed report said a body drifted in the shoreline of the island barangay of Pugaro in Dagupan City at presstime.
Another victim of drowning was Jeffrey Cariño of Baguio City who drowned Sunday when he and companions dropped by the Tondaligan to swim after attending a wedding of their relative in Malasiqui town and on their way back home.
Zabala said Cariño was pulled under by strong undercurrent while swimming. He said the victim was rescued after two minutes and given artificial respiration but was nevertheless declared dead on arrival at the Region 1 Medical Center.
Cariño rented a floating life saver but due to the big waves, he lost his grip on the device and was lost in the water momentarily. When he was finally rescued, there was difficulty reviving him.
Zabala explained that the wind surge that spawned high waves and threatens to wash away some 100 makeshift picnic sheds are just a normal occurrence during the months of December and January in the Lingayen Gulf.
The same high waves destroyed five houses made of light materials in sitio Bagong Barrio in barangay Bonuan Gueset, near Tondaligan Park last Saturday night. Their occupants were evacuated to the village’s multi-purpose gymnasium.
He said some of these picnic sheds were vacated by their owners after these were swamped by the waves, damaging their videoke sound systems, television sets, chinawares, utensils and other properties.
Some of these are now putting sand bags as high as five feet to block the big waves from hitting their establishments, Zabala said.
