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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Accidents usually happen in the Kawasan Falls when tourists ignore warnings not to jump from the ledge or shun wearing lifejackets, Badian police said.
Their observation came after Good Friday’s accidental death of a Korean student who was killed after another Korean visitor leaped from the waterfalls and crashed into a bamboo raft the victim was riding with friends.
A day earlier, a Cebuano on holiday drowned in the same site after making his second leap into the water.
Police Officer 3 Danilo Teopaz, desk officer of Badian police, said many tourists try to avoid paying the P20 rental fee for a lifejacket offered by cottage owners and the cooperative that manages the tourism business in the Kawasan Falls, a popular destination for local and foreign visitors.
Some fun seekers, especially those who are already tipsy or drunk, prefer not to wear safety gear at all, he said. The last recording drowning in the Kawasan Falls was in 2005, he said.
Badian police are set to file charges this week against Korean student Ryu Ho Jun, who is being treated at the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital for various injuries after his deadly plunge. Two Badian policemen are guarding his hospital room since the student is considered under arrest.
Police Officer 3 Joel Caballero, case investigator, said they have finished gathering affidavits of local witnesses and are almost ready to file charges.
Police no longer got statements from other Koreans present because the foreigners had difficulty speaking English or were still in shock.
Ryu’s parents arrived from South Korea yesterday and visited him in the hospital in Cebu City. The student was knocked unconscious when he crashed into the bamboo raft. He was declared out of danger by physicians although he still complains about pain his back, chest and has difficulty breathing.
His daring leap killed 24-year-old Lim San Guen, who was on a bamboo raft with companions Leon Chang, 22 and Chun Seong Ah, 23.
Even after the accident, many people went swimming in Kawasan Falls, said Police Officer 3 Danilo Teopis. With the summer drawing more visitors, he said two policemen have been stationed on site.
“People don’t seem scared to go to Kawasan Falls even if someone was killed there,” he said.
The two layered waterfalls in Matutinao can be reached after trekking uphill for 15 to 20 minutes.
Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale said she would take up the need for extra safety measures and on-site signages when she meets with the multisectoral Taskforce of Badian Falls on Tuesday.
She read about the accidents in the newspapers and lamented the victims’ foolhardiness.
“Miambak man gud pod to sila. daring lang gyud kaayo sila,” (They were the ones who leaped. They were so daring),” she said.
Magpale, who heads the board’s committee on tourism, said she had earlier warned residents of Barangay (village) Matutinao to take care of the nature spot because it attracts tourists almost everyday.
But she said the death was “purely an accident” and would not affect the tourism industry there.
Tuesday’s task force meeting had been scheduled before the Holy Week to take up a complaint last month from two British nationals who said they were overcharged P2,000 by their local tour guides for a tour of the famous waterfalls.
Magpale said this had to be threshed out to avoid discouraging tourists coming to Badian, which Cebu province is promoting as a key tourist destination.
Alice Queblatin, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO), said agencies have been promoting Badian as a regular or optional tour.
“That's why tourists flock to Badian everyday,” she said.
She said the twin events over the Holy Week were “crazy incidents” that were a clear case of negligence but would not affect Badian’s lure as a travel destination.
Perhaps the victims weren’t aware of the danger or didn’t heed advice about taking safety precautions when swimming or exploring the waterfalls, she said.
“On our part, we (Cato) have always advised our guests on the danger aspects of the falls,” said Queblatin.
She said unguided tours could be risky especially with adventurous tourists. She suggested that local officials put up prominent warnings signs in the area especially prohibiting diving from the top of the waterfalls.
Korean national Lim San Guen was killed by the impact of the Korean student falling on him after his leap from a height of 10 feet.
Nelson Tiro of Liloan town also drowned in the site after making his second leap from the top of the waterfalls on Holy Thursday. Police said he was under the influence of liquor and was seen still swimming awhile before he disappeared. His body was later found in the water. /From reports of Dale Israel, Nilda Gallo and Cris Ligan
