DIGOS City ― A fisherman instantly died on the spot after he was struck by a bolt of lightning while fishing along the coastline of Aplaya Beach in Lanang, Barangay Hizon, Davao City shortly before midnight of June 6.
P/Major Jake Goles, Sasa police station chief identified the victim as Sofronio Pal Taneo, 65, a resident of Sition Bolakan, Barangay Aquino Agdao, Davao City, also a native of Manual Barangay Site, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.
A witness, Armand Alcociba Adriano, 32, told police investigators he saw the victim directly hit by the lightning from the window of his house located at Purok-1, Lizada, Lanang in Barangay Hizon.
Adriano said he called his brother and friends to rescue the victim out of the sea with the hope that he could be saved from death.
They successfully retrieved and brought Taneo to the shore where they tried to administer CPR, but their efforts failed.
The responding police unit together with the search and rescue team of the Davao Central 991 arrived at the place of the incident and also tried to revive the victim, but to no avail. Taneo was declared dead.
He was brought to a local funeral parlor for proper disposition.
Authorities have been warning individuals to keep away from flat areas, high-grounds and to avoid using their cellular devices during thunderstorms as part of the precautionary measures against lightning strikes.
It can be recalled that early this year, five individuals were killed while another one was injured when fierce lightning struck a makeshift hut in one of the inland resorts in Barangay Binaton, Digos City.
The lightning hit a tree near the hut where the impact caused the demise of the victims who are mostly teenagers.
