Six nursing students drown, 8 hospitalized

By Arnell Ozaeta, ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog
Posted at 05/05/2010 2:39 PM | Updated as of 05/05/2010 2:39 PM

LAGUNA, Philippines – Six 3rd year nursing students drowned, 8 were hospitalized, while 1 was missing after swimming in a beach in Infanta, Quezon early Wednesday morning, police said

Police Officer 1 Adrian Coralde, Infanta police investigator, identified the fatalities as Karen May Efren,18; Marisma Macabuag,18; Jovel Ortiz,19; Kristine Regis,18; Camille Soriano,19; and, Jezelle Mijarez, 18.

All were students of La Concordia College in Herran St., Manila.

Police said a 12-year-old resident, identified as Jona Rose Francia, was still missing, as of posting. Eight students were rushed to Claro M. Recto Memorial District Hospital in Infanta, Quezon for treatment.

One student, identified as Vyera Ramirez, was rushed to a Manila hospital and was still in critical condition as of posting, Coralde said.

In a phone interview, Allen Delos Reyes, Infanta municipal information officer, said the students were undergoing a community health nursing training in Barangay Pinaglapatan when they decided to take a brake and go swimming at around 4:30 a.m.

In an earlier report from Quezon provincial director Senior Superintendent Erickson Velasquez, he said the victims were on board a motorized banca that was about to dock in the island when the students excitedly plunged into the sea after assuming that the water was shallow.

But the Infanta police corrected the earlier information sent to Quezon Provincial Police Office in Lucena, and said that 15 nursing students were already swimming in the shore when the tide suddenly swelled and swept away the victims.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo said their divers from Puerto Real Coast Guard Station in Quezon immediately conducted a search and rescue operation in the area and successfully saved the 9 students. The local government units and the police also joined in the rescue operation.

Officials of the La Concordia College immediately rushed to Infanta after receiving the information from the survivors.