PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – A group of treasure hunters believed to be in search of General Yamashita’s hidden gold nearly suffocated to death at the site where they expected to find riches. Instead of gold and jewels, five men got a second chance at life, thanks to the efforts of rescue workers who found them all unconscious at an excavation site about 100 feet below the surface. They were identified as Philip Antonio, 23; Mark Vincent Monilla, 21; Alberto Saratao, 30; Angelito Duran, 52; and a 17-year-old minor. Earl Timbancaya, head of the Puerto Princesa City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said Thursday the treasure hunters encountered difficulty breathing and eventually lost consciousness due to a severe lack of oxygen. He said the incident took place in Barangay Luzviminda at 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday, as the five men were operating a pump to drain the water that had accumulated below the site they were digging. ‘They ran out of air because they were running a motorized water pump to drain the water below. They were all cramped down there while all along, the pump’s exhaust was producing carbon monoxide. Of course, they would eventually lose consciousness,’ Timbancaya said. The CDRRMO official said the five treasure hunters were eventually revived at the Luzviminda Satellite Clinic, where they were taken to recuperate. Timbancaya, however, said that had rescuers from the CDRRMO and Bureau of Fire Protection not reached the victims on time, the incident may have had a tragic ending. Meanwhile, Luzviminda barangay chairperson Laddy Hemang said the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and police have already inspected the area and stopped any further treasure hunting activities. He said the owner of the property, Ricardo Pucot, was the main proponent of the treasure-hunting expedition that is partly funded by a Korean national. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency
