A grade 7 student drowned in the Bagacay River in Sitio Australian Bush, Brgy. Aranda, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, Nov. 7.
The police said the victim was a 12-year-old boy, whose name they withheld, of Sitio Hacienda Joy, Brgy. Candumarao in Hinigaran.
The victim and his classmates went swimming in the river near the Negros Occidental Agro-Industrial School of Home Industries, the police reported.
However, the victim accidentally went to a deep section of the river and drowned.
His friends, who were also minors, tried but failed to rescue him as he was carried away by strong current.
His classmates called for help from bystanders and searched for the victim.
After 10 minutes, they found him 20 meters from the place of incident. He was brought to the Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela but was declared dead on arrival.*