In the Philippines, 72 died by drowning in first 9 days of April alone: ‘some were drunk’
- ‘Some of the fatalities were children left unattended, some were drunk, and others pulled each other down’, a police spokeswoman said
- Beaches and resorts were packed over the Holy Week break in the Philippines, as Filipinos embraced the post-pandemic ‘revenge travel’ trend
The death toll, tallied from 67 drowning incidents from April 1 to Easter Sunday, was “quite high” compared to previous years, according to Colonel Jean Fajardo, national police spokeswoman.
“People really got excited to visit the beautiful beaches and resorts in the country,” she said. “Some of the fatalities were children left unattended, some were drunk, and others pulled each other down and drowned together.”
Beaches and resorts were packed over the Holy Week break in the Philippines, as Filipinos embraced “revenge travel” since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Easter holiday is traditionally a time for families to go on holidays or visit the provinces.
“During times like these, when people are on vacation, we must remind people to take care of their children while swimming,” Fajardo said. “Do not leave them unattended, and we must not go into the deep parts of the sea to avoid accidents.”
Fajardo said the national police will coordinate with the Department of Health and the Red Cross to hold first aid training for employees of tourist establishments.
“The high number of drowning deaths is something that police officials want to look into,” she added. “Resorts and other establishments that cater to tourists must have many lifeguards and marshals to watch over their guests.”
