One dead after two boats collided during Taguig River Festival

A man died after an accident involving two boats occurred during the Taguig River Festival in Taguig City on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Jester Romero, 30, a resident of Barangay Bambang, Taguig, and passenger on one of the boats.

Romero was first reported missing, according to reports by Mai Bermudez on Unang Balita and Dobol B TV.

His body was found past 6 a.m. on Wednesday six feet underwater near a bridge.

Romero's relatives were at the site on Wednesday morning and were emotional over the incident.

Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the local government's Bantay Lawa have been searching for the victim for 12 hours when his body was found.

Tuloy ang search and rescue operation ng Philippine Coast Guard sa nawawalang si Jester Romero, isa sa sakay ng dalawang bangkang lumubog sa Fluvial Parade sa Taguig River Festival.@gmanews pic.twitter.com/GftNtEwF1q

— Mai Bermudez (@MaiBermudezGMA) July 26, 2022

The accident occurred at 5:46 p.m., the Taguig local government unit (LGU) said.

Both boats were on their way home when they collided, it added.

One boat capsized first. Some passengers of this boat jumped into the boat carrying Romero and his friends. This caused the second boat to capsize as well.

The LGU said passengers of the two boats were immediately rescued and brought to hospitals for treatment. 

"Lahat ng nailigtas ay nasa maayos na kalagayan," the LGU said.

However, Romero was reported missing.

The LGU expressed sadness over the tragedy.

The two boats that were involved in the accident were not officially part of the fluvial parade, it said.

"Ang mga gamit na bangka ay pribadong inarkila ng mga sakay nito at hindi kasama sa manifesto ng mga bangkang isinumite sa Pamahalaang Lungsod at Simbahan ng Sta. Ana," the LGU said.

(The boats were privately rented by the passengers and were not included in the manifesto of boats submitted to the city government and the Sta. Ana Church.)

Those who were officially part of the fluvial parade wore life vests, were given safety briefing, and were escorted by rescue boats, it added.

The LGU said the City Rescue, PCG, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Lake and River Management Office worked together to respond to the accident.

The Taguig LGU and Sta. Ana Church have also expressed condolences to the family of Romero.

The city government and church thanked City Rescue, Lake and River Management Office, PCG, Philippine National Police, and residents who helped to rescue the passengers and for their efforts in the search and rescue.

The LGU and church said it will provide assistance to the family of Romero.

The local government said it will continue investigating the incident in order to prevent such accidents from happening again.

The Taguig River Festival is an annual event which is part of the Sta. Ana fiesta.

The LGU said it has made adequate preparations to ensure the safety of all those participating in the fluvial parade as well as residents who will watch the parade by the riverside and on bridges. —With a report from Richa Noriega/KG, GMA News