A promising young boxer lost his life in a tragic drowning incident that occurred during the onslaught of Typhoon Verbena in Carcar City.
Tragic Discovery in Stormy Waters
Seventeen-year-old Johnrey Dairo was found dead after drowning in the waters of Sitio Baksihi, Barangay Ocaña, Carcar City on Tuesday morning, November 25, 2025. The incident happened around 9 AM as Typhoon Verbena continued to batter the area with strong winds and rough seas.
The victim, who hailed from Sitio Danao, Barangay Napo in the same city, had gone fishing with his 12-year-old cousin, identified only as alias Joshua. According to Barangay Ocaña Captain Dario Ramos, he received a call from his tanod (village watchman) reporting that a male had drowned in the coastal waters of Sitio Bakasi.
Desperate Rescue Attempt Fails
Captain Ramos immediately called for medical personnel to provide emergency assistance to the victim. However, when the young man was brought to shore, medical responders declared him dead at the scene.
Investigation revealed that the teenager and his younger cousin had been fishing in the area using the panudsod method, a traditional fishing technique. Captain Ramos theorized that Johnrey might have ventured into deeper waters where he could no longer touch the ocean floor.
"That portion while he was fishing with the panudsod method, he possibly slipped into the deep part and couldn't reach the bottom. Secondly, he didn't know how to swim," the captain explained.
A Promising Boxer's Final Hours
In a heartbreaking revelation, Captain Ramos acknowledged that he had been training the victim in boxing, noting that Johnrey showed promising talent as a fighter. The young athlete had approached his coach the previous evening to request absence from training so he could go fishing to provide food for his family.
"He told his coach he wouldn't be attending training because he needed to look for livelihood through fishing since they had no viand (food to eat with rice)," Ramos shared.
The barangay captain never expected that this fishing trip would end in tragedy. Meanwhile, the 12-year-old cousin who witnessed the horrific incident is currently undergoing stress debriefing provided by the barangay to help him cope with the trauma of seeing his older relative drown.
The community of Carcar City mourns the loss of a young life cut short, a tragedy made more poignant by the fact that Johnrey was simply trying to help his family during difficult weather conditions.
