1-YEAR-OLD BOY DROWNS IN CANAL

BY KEVIN GALANG

A BABY on Tuesday drowned in an irrigation canal in Arayat, Pampanga.

Pampanga police director Col. Jay Dimaandal  reported to  Police Regional Office 3 director Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr. that the victim was identified as Jomer, 1-year-old,  of Bgy. Gatiawin in Arayat.

The infant’s  mother, Gerly Espino Mallari, 28, was busy doing household chores and failed to notice the child left the house through the unlocked backdoor.

The mother only learned that the kid was not around when the open door was blown away by a strong wind, making a loud thud. 

Mallari immediately searched for her son but could not find the boy.

The family’s house is located beside an irrigation canal 

After an hour of searching, the body of the child was found on a creek near a bamboo grove two miles away from their home.

A member of  the responding Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO), Donald Galang, conducted a first aid and resuscitation on the child before the latter was rushed to Arayat District Hospital in Bgy. Lacquio, where the tot  was pronounced dead on arrival.