Rescuers have found the body of a girl who drowned in a river at the boundary of Cadiz and Sagay cities in Negros Occidental yesterday but failed to find that of her brother who is still missing.

Jean Rose Tiguihanon, 17, was found by divers at the bottom of Himuga-on River about an hour after she and her brother, Ryan, 14, were sucked by strong undercurrents at about 9 a.m. yesterday, Joemarie Blancaflor of the Cadiz Rescue Emergency Assistance Team, said.

He said they had stopped searching for Ryan at about 4 p.m. yesterday because of the murky raging waters, but added that they will resume their operations at 7 a.m. today.

Reports said that Jean Rose, who had just graduated from high school, and Ryan, an incoming third year student, had gone to the river to collect seashells known as “kayob”, from their home in Brgy. Tiglawigan, Cadiz.

Witnesses said Jean Rose tried to help Ryan who got stuck in the deeper part of the river but both of them later submerged because they did not know how to swim.

Blancaflor said the two may have been sucked into gorges at the bottom of the eight-meter deep river while struggling against the strong currents.*PP

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