Body found after SUV fell into creek in Caloocan

The Caloocan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) has found the body of one of the missing passengers on board a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that fell into a creek.

According to Chino Gaston’s Super Radyo dzBB report, the Caloocan City DRRMO found the body of the 60-year-old SUV driver earlier on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

His body was found along Sampaguita Bridge in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

According to the driver’s family, he was with his employer before the incident around 7 p.m. on Monday. Authorities are still searching for the other missing passenger.

The driver was able to call his family to seek help from the barangay, but his voice eventually became unclear on the phone. The driver’s family said this was their last time they heard him.

“‘Kailangan namin ng rescue, rescue’, ganu'n siya nang ganu'n,” said Jeannette Donasco, the driver’s wife, as reported in “24 Oras.” 

(He kept repeating they needed to be rescued.) 

But she said that her late husband did not mention about falling into a creek.

“Wala po siyang binabanggit hanggang sa malabo na 'yung salita. Wala na kaming maintindihan…Tapos ayun po, tumawag na ako ng barangay,” said Jeannette.  

(He did not mention anything about that until our conversation became muttered. We cannot understand anything from him…Then I decided to call the barangay.)

Caloocan City Mayor Dale Malapitan previously said the SUV was found at Durian Bridge an hour after it fell into the creek.

“Medyo malayo na 'yun, sa lakas na rin ng current ng baha (due to the current of the flood, the SUV drifted quite far),” Malapitan said. “Wala na 'yung pasahero sa loob. Patuloy ang ating paghahanap (there were no passengers inside the SUV).”

"Du'n sa mga missing natin, hanggang sa kasalukuyan, patuloy ang ating paghahanap at bilin na bilin po natin na 'wag po tayo tumigil hangga't hindi nahahanap 'yung missing persons natin,” he added.

(We will continue to search for the missing persons. We will not stop until we find them.)

Malapitan explained that Doña Aurora Street was already impassable Monday evening when the SUV insisted on passing through.

“Sa CCTV sa command center, nakita natin 'yung pangyayari kaya agad dumating 'yung ating rescue doon,” Malapitan said.

(We saw what happened through the CCTV in our command center, so rescuers were immediately dispatched.)

According to the chairman of Barangay 177, this is the second time a vehicle has fallen into the creek.

The bridge has a barrier, but the water gets deep whenever there is a downpour.

The barangay chairman said they cannot put higher barriers since garbage tends to accumulate and cause flooding in the area.

He added that barangay tanods prevent vehicles from passing through whenever the area is flooded.

Floods

As of 6 a.m., Malapitan reported that 2,972 individuals, or 980 families, have been evacuated due to the continuous downpour.

He noted that the evacuees were provided with hot meals and food packs at 39 active evacuation centers in the city.

“21 barangays ang binaha sa Caloocan [pero] maraming lugar ang humupa na (21 barangays in Caloocan were flooded, but many of those have already subsided),” Malapitan said.

He added that all main roads in Caloocan are passable. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/ VAL/RF, GMA Integrated News