Student, farmer drown in Pangasinan floods

By Gabriel Cardinoza

DAGUPAN CITY -- A student and a farmer drowned in two separate incidents in Pangasinan on Sunday and Tuesday, the Police Regional Office 1 reported on Wednesday.
    The student, identified as 20-year-old Jerome Garay de la Cruz, drowned as he tried to pull a companion from being dragged by a strong flood current along a road in Barangay Bocacliw in Aguilar town on Tuesday, August 1.
    De la Cruz apparently got exhausted in trying to save a minor named Prince Monro, who was also crossing the road at that time.
    The minor was apparently rescued by other people who were on the road, but de la Cruz was dragged into the deep part of the floodwaters and drowned.
    In Santa Barbara town, 52-year-old Conrado Daroy drowned when he fell into an irrigation canal in Barangay Tuliao on Sunday, July 30.
    Daroy was fished out by members of a disaster response team and was taken to a hospital, but the attending physician declared him dead on arrival.
    Police said there was no indication of foul play.
    Daroy's relatives told investigators that the victim was recently diagnosed with hypertension.