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| Vol. XX No. 43 |
January 03, 2001 |
Virac, Catanduanes |
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The Catanduanes Tribune Rawis, Virac Catanduanes, Philippines - 5001 Tel. No.: (052) 811-1267 or 811-2640 Fax No.: (052) 811-1267 E-mail:
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Publisher-Editor Edwin A. Gianan |
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Advertising- Circulation Manager Simeon G. Cueno |
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Web Master: Calgary, Canada |
Major Developments
JICA
man drowns in Baras surf
A
volunteer of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drowned
last week in the internationally popular Majestic surfing ground in
Puraran, Baras after he was swept into a whirlpool and carried away by
strong ocean currents.
The
body of Tetsu Ogawa, 26, single, was found last Friday, Dec. 29, floating
at sea close to barangay Benticayan some 200 meters way from the spot
where he disappeared 48 hours earlier. Ogawa and his companion, also a
Japanese volunteer assigned to the Catanduanes provincial agriculture
office, waded into the sea on their surf boards to try Majestic's waves.
The
owner of Majestic resort, Elena Tanael, had reportedly warned the duo not
to risk going to the surf area about 100 meters offshore as the waves then
were small, broken and of no use to surfers.
According
to oldtime surf transport operator Ely Zafe, the duo left Virac for
Puraran on board a rented Yamaha V-50 motorcycle and reached the beach at
around 4 P.M. of December 27.
Riding
on their boards, the duo set out to sea and while passing a rocky outcrop
just 30 meters from the shore, a strong current started carrying the
towards the crag. Ogawa, who allegedly did not secure himself to the surf
board through the leg rope, was thrown out of the board and started
shouting for help, struggling as he was sucked underwater by the eddy.
A
certain Chuck Nolinski, a New Yorker who is a professional lifesaver,
reportedly was on the beach but refused to dive in the sea, saying that
with the condition of the surf, he could not do anything and would only
endanger himself.
At
the time of the incident, four other surfers, aside from Nolinski, were
billeted at Rudy Soria's beach resort, including two Indonesian women, a
Canadian named Mark and an Andrew from Sydney, Australia.
Ogawa's
companion, who had used the leg rope, survived the harrowing ordeal by
letting himself be carried away by the current some 200 meters away. Both
bodies of the survivor and fatality bore gashes and bruises from the sharp
edges of the coral reef.
Last
Dec. 28, the parents and a relative of the victim arrived on board an
Asian Spirit flight, including JICA officials, Kazuo Suda, M. Kamete,
Motofumi Kohara and Hitomi Sato to oversee the recovery of Ogawa's body. A
chartered plane took his remains to Manila last Saturday morning.
The
depth of the area where Ogawa disappeared was not known as it is not
frequented by experienced surfers due to the treacherous whirlpool. In
recent years, two divers, the last a British national, perished in
Majestic when they were smashed into rocks by big waves.
