According to the Puerto Princesa City Police, Hikilan was in the company of his students and some parents and they were at Masagana Falls to conduct a three-day youth retreat camping event. According to the police report, during a swimming session, several of the students were being carried downstream by the river current when Hikilan jumped in to rescue them. It was then that he was carried away by the current.
Hikilan's lifeless body was retrieved several hours later through the combined efforts of volunteers, concerned citizens, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Navy. The search started in the morning until late in the afternoon. Rescuers had to use oxygen tanks because Hikilan's body was stuck in a deep portion of the river.
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Photo credit: Puerto Princesa Police Department. |