A one-year-old boy drowned at the river near his home in Barangay Pao, Manaoag, Pangasinan.

Police said that according to the child's mother, her son was playing outside their house while she was caring for her newborn. When she called for him a short time later, he did not respond.

The family searched for the child until they found him in a nearby river.

The grieving mother recalled finding her son among the tall grass near the riverbank.

“Bumaba ako sa ilog, doon ko hinanap 'yung anak ko. 'Yung talahib, bigla ko ginanon malapit sa puno, nakita ko 'yung anak ko andon. Andon na 'yung anak ko. Siyempre sa akin na ina, masakit makita ko. Dinive ko 'yung anak ko, buhat-buhat ko, inakyat ko. Akala ko makaka-survive 'yung anak ko, may pulso pa,” the mother said.

The child was rushed to a hospital by a barangay ambulance.

Barangay councilman Leonardo Remillo said responders found the child already unconscious when they arrived.

“Nadatnan na po namin na 'yung bata is nakaratay na po, pero ang nagtakbo po sa ospital ay 'yung aming ambulansiya,” he said.

The child's mother said she could not understand how her son reached the river because he would have had to go down a dike to get there.

“'Yun din, nagtataka ako ba't biglang napunta doon. Saglitan lang siya nawala. Minuto lang pagkalabas ng bahay namin, sumunod ako, doon na siya nawala,” she said.

Police said they found no signs of foul play in the incident.

Authorities reminded families living near rivers to closely watch young children to prevent similar tragedies.

“Paalala po natin sa pamilya po na malapit sa mga ilog, 'wag po natin iwan ang ating mga anak, lalo na't mga bata po 'yan. Sa kanilang paglalaro, lagi natin nababantayan po natin sila para maiwasan po ang ganitong insidente,” PLT. Ariel Villegas from Manaoag Police Station said