A woman who reportedly entered a drainage canal in search of food was rescued along Bula-Lagao Road in General Santos City.
A tricycle driver was the first to notice a hand emerging from the concrete cover of the canal. Hearing the woman crying for help inside, the driver immediately alerted authorities.
Police, along with personnel from Barangay Bula, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), responded to the scene. They carefully removed the concrete cover, and two barangay workers entered the canal to assist the woman, initially thought to be a child.
After being pulled from the canal, the woman, who was struggling to breathe, was given a breathing apparatus and taken to the hospital after receiving first aid.
The woman, later identified as a 23-year-old resident of Cotabato Province, explained that she had been swimming in the sea and entered the nearby canal to search for food. She crawled through the canal for about 300 meters before being rescued.
Authorities reported that the woman is now in stable condition and did not sustain any injuries from the incident.
