A 16-year-old female person with disability (PWD) was saved from drowning in Barangay Taft, Surigao City, on September 4 following swift life-saving intervention by a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) responder.
Apprentice Seaman (ASN) Rheyson Maestro PCG was conducting a pre-departure inspection aboard the MV News MPC 2 when he received word of a drowning incident nearby.
Maestro immediately responded to the scene, where a bystander was attempting CPR on the unconscious teenager.
Taking over resuscitation efforts, Maestro performed roughly 100 chest compressions, successfully restoring the victim’s consciousness before placing her in the recovery position.
Personnel from Coast Guard Sub-Station Surigao City, the Coast Guard Special Operations Group-Northeastern Mindanao, and local disaster management officials subsequently arrived to secure the scene.
The victim was handed over to the Surigao City Rescue Quick Action Response Team for further first aid and was transported to Caraga Regional Hospital, where she was reported to be in stable condition.
According to the PCG, the successful rescue underscores the effectiveness of its Intensified Community Assistance, Awareness, Response, and Enforcement (iCARE) Program, which ensures frontline personnel are trained in Basic Life Support and CPR procedures.
