A Virac fisherman found dead off the shore of a defunct beach resort in San Andres town last week could have died of drowning.
This was the initial finding of authorities after the body of Raffy Balbuena Gonzales, 40, a resident of sitio Mamangal in barangay Balite, was discovered submerged about 10 meters deep in the sea in front of the Monte Cielo Mar beach resort in barangay Palawig.
The Virac police learned of the alleged drowning from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) at 7 AM of Oct. 3, 2024, with personnel led by PCMS Ruel Adille dispatched to conduct an investigation.
The team reported that at about 8 PM of Oct. 2, the victim left his house to go fishing but did not return by morning of the next day, prompting his wife Lyn to seek assistance from barangay kagawad Roberto Gonzales and Jason Gonzales for a search.
The two men found the missing fisherman’s body below the water, with the rope of his spear gum tangled around his body.
According to his wife, Raffy suffered from epilepsy and may have had a seizure while fishing and failed to surface.
Virac MPS personnel secured his body and asked for the conduct of postmortem examination at the Virac Rural Health Unit.