Cagayan de Oro may suspend white water rafting after tourist's death

The Cagayan de Oro city government is considering suspending white-water rafting along the Cagayan de Oro River after an accident that killed a local tourist this weekend, a Mindanao news site reported early Sunday.

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno pushed for more safety measures by local tourist agencies engaged in rafting and kayaking, MindaNews reported.

Moreno disclosed this before the body of tourist Aizza Mae Balbin, who was reported missing last Friday, was found Sunday.

“What assurance do I have that this will not happen again and if there is none, I will have to suspend despite the profits this industry is making. Life is so much precious than economic rewards,” Moreno said in the report.

He also pushed for a government body to regulate rafting and kayaking along the river, noting past ordinances left the regulating of such activities to local outfitter agencies.

“There is really a need to see what we can do to regulate this industry,” he said.

Balbin went missing Friday following a white-water rafting accident. Her remains were found Sunday.



Moreno noted the current in the area where the accident occurred was very strong. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News