A 19-year-old man drowned while two of his companions are recovering in the hospital after they were swept away by currents while swimming at the Fishport in Barangay Inuboran, Naga City around noon on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Victim identified; companions still hospitalized
Police Master Sgt. Ariel Yap, investigator of the Naga City Police Station, identified the fatality as Nathaniel Resma, 19, single, and a native of Purok Acacia, Barangay Lipata, Minglanilla town. He was declared dead on arrival (DOA) by attending physicians.
His companions, Genesis Baterbonia Villejo, 18, a Grade 11 student from Purok Atis, and Ivan Deiparine Cabrera, 16, from Purok Tugas, both residents of Barangay Lipata, are currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital.
Group outing turned tragic
According to Yap, the seven victims, who are friends from the online game Crossfire, agreed to go on an outing and swim at the sea. They arrived at the area around 12:00 noon and immediately went into the water after lunch.
Yap said the group swam until they reached the deeper part of the sea. The area is known to be a rocky cliff and had a warning flag indicating that swimming there is dangerous.
Moments later, four of the companions were lucky enough to hold on to large rocks, but the three were swept into deeper waters and drowned.
“They knew how to swim, sir, but the area is a cliff, they ran out of air and drowned,” Yap said.
Rescue efforts; no foul play
The other companions immediately sought help from nearby people, leading to the rescue of the victims, but Resma could no longer be saved.
Yap clarified that there was no foul play and that the incident was purely accidental.
Meanwhile, residents of the area said the spot is locally known as “hilan” because every year, there is always a recorded drowning or fatality among swimmers.
