Davao City — Rescue teams retrieved the body of a 21-year-old man from floodwaters outside his home Monday night as heavy rains triggered citywide flooding, local authorities said.
Buhangin police investigators identified the victim by his alias, James, a pump worker originally from Manay, Davao Oriental.
Neighborhood flood responders discovered the body floating in the New San Isidro area of Barangay Buhangin. The victim was rushed to the Southern Philippines Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Medical records attributed the cause of death to cardiopulmonary arrest caused by accidental electrocution, compounded by acute respiratory failure from drowning and floodwater aspiration.
The body was taken to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.
The Davao City Police Office deployed tactical units from Monday evening through Tuesday dawn to assist residents in high-risk zones as water levels rose rapidly across multiple villages, police spokesperson Capt. Hazel Caballero said Wednesday.
“Heavy weather-related emergency operations remain active for the city,” Caballero said during the weekly Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing.
“We also advise residents in low-lying areas and communities near the river to monitor alerts,” he added.