A woman who went into a drainage canal to search for food was rescued from the canal on Bula-Lagao Road in General Santos City.

It was a tricycle driver who saw what appeared to be a hand sticking out of the canal. When he stopped to check, he found a person underneath crying for help. The driver immediately sought help from the police.

Personnel from Barangay Bula, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) responded quickly.

Video from GMA Super Radyo GenSan shows rescuers using a metal bar to remove a concrete slab blocking the canal.

After the slab was lifted, two barangay personnel went down to retrieve what they thought initially was a child. However, it turned out to be a woman.

She was immediately given a breathing apparatus as she was having difficulty breathing. First aid was administered before she was brought to the hospital.

CDRRMO identified her later as a 23-year-old resident of Cotabato Province.

Based on investigation, the woman reportedly went for a swim at sea before she entered the mouth of the canal near the area to search for food.

She reportedly crawled through the canal for an estimated 300 meters until she was found.

The woman is now in stable condition and did not sustain any injury.

GMA Regional TV One Mindanao is reaching out to the woman for a statement, as of this writing.