Local tourist falls to death at Cotabato waterfall

A local tourist died when he fell 100 feet down a waterfall in Arakan town, Cotabato on Sunday noon, a top police official confirmed.

Police Senior Inspector Josie Marie Molina, Arakan town chief of police identified the victim as Hercules Demonreal, 21 years-old, a resident of Catalunan Grande in Davao City.

Molina said a group of local tourists from Davao City and nearby Barangay Katipunan in Arakan, were on top of the falls when the victim slipped and fell down in at least three layers of the Matigol Waterfall.

“They are having a picnic atop, but the victim even went to the higher portion known to locals as kawa-kawa where he met an accident,” Molina told GMA News.

It took at least two hours for rescuers to find the victim after the accident.

The victim was rushed to Rubillo Hospital in Calinan, Davao City but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

In December last year, a tourist guide also died in the waterfall.  The victim tried to save a tourist who was trapped in the rampaging water but he was carried away by strong current.

Molina warned tourists to take extra precaution when visiting the Matigol waterfall to prevent similar accidents.

“Let us all be responsible. In place like this let us all be careful especially that we don’t control the situation in the area,” Molina said. —LDF, GMA News