LINGAYEN – Two more persons drowned in separate areas of the Lingayen Gulf recently swelling the number of swimmers who lost their lives in local beaches since December last year.

The latest drowning incidents occurred at the Jimenez beach in barangay Patar, Bolinao on Wednesday. The victim was identified in the police report as Cheffrey Partho, 26, of Imus, Cavite.

The other drowning victim was Tealby Pascual, 14, of barangay Matalava, Lingayen, who was carried by strong currents while swimming along the Lingayen Beach last December 30.

Other drowning incidents occurred earlier in the beaches of Dagupan, Binmaley and San Fabian, all in the Lingyen Gulf.

The biggest number of drowning for the period was registered in Dagupan’s Tondaligan Beach, which is now being dubbed as a “killer beach” due to the big number of persons who have drowned there of late.

]A group of individuals in Dagupan are now seeking the temporary closure of the Tondaligan Beach for swimming till after the strong waves brought in by the cold front have passed by the end of February.

Luis de Venecia, a member of the Dagupan Breakfast Club, said the drowning incidents occurred because of the unusual high waves that are naturally occurring in the Lingayen Gulf from November to February every year.

His group said that these frequent drowning incidents have placed Dagupan Beach in a bad light, especially since the victims were mostly from other places.

This was compounded by the absence of life guards in the area who were reported to have pulled out due to the lack of incentives being offered by picnic shed owners and even by the city government.

De Venecia urged owners of for-rent picnic sheds as well as the city government to install warning signs in parts of the beach where swimming is extra-dangerous to save unwary swimmers from drowning.

The relatives of a father and son who drowned at the Tondaligan beach in Dagupan on Christmas day deplored the absence of life guards in the area at the time of the incident.

They said the lives of Danilo Abria, 46, and his son, Jeadan, 14, could have been saved had they bee immediately rescued by life guards posted in the beach.

There were three drowning incidents that also occurred in Binmaley beach after Christmas and another at the San Fabian beach before New Year.

Most of the drowning victims were believed to have been intoxicated when they went swimming. (PNA)