Kawasan Falls claim lives

i was actually there.

i was with my family last Friday in Kawasan Falls to spend the night. Kawasan is located in Matutiniao Badian, Cebu. it's almost 4 hours from Cebu City, but the scenery is worth it.


since it was a holiday, there was quite a number of people -- locals, white foreigners, and koreans. once in a while, some men would climb up the side of the falls to dive. this would make the crowd cheer and clap for the diver. (wherever you are in the resort, whenever you here loud cheering and jeering, you will know someone is about to dive.)

when the korean was about to dive, the usual cheers came. but instantly i knew something went wrong when i didn't hear a splash by the time he should have hit the water below. instead, we heard a loud thud. people began shouting shocks of horror. the korean diver fell on some rafters just making their way out of the falls.

when you decide to go rafting, the instructor will tell you to lie flat on your stomach as you negotiate the narrow opening of the falls. you will emerge from under the falls -- the force of flowing water hitting you like millions of tiny hands jabbing you everywhere. it was in this position the victim found himself suddenly crushed by something from above. it was his fellow korean student.


the fall killed the victim instantly. the diver was injured. someone else on the raft was injured. locals rushed to the scene and carried them back to the town proper (a good 30 minutes). korean ladies were weeping aloud rushing from behind. they all packed their bags and left.

the victim was carried by three men: one held his head, another his torso, another his legs. he had a wound on his chin. there was something white and frothy in his mouth. i remember well. they passed in front of me.

i want to post nice pictures of my Kawasan vacation. but somehow, i don't feel so right about that.