Born Again Pastor From Baguio City Drowns In A River In Isabela

A dip in a portion of the Cagayan River in Isabela by three born again Christian pastors turned tragic when one of them slipped and drowned. According to reports, Godofredo Dogaong and two other pastors went to take a bath in the river in barangay Sinaoangan in San Agustin, Isabela in the morning of February 17 (Tuesday). Between 10:30 and 11 am, Dogaong accidentally slipped in a deep portion of the river and drowned.

Dogaong is a pastor of the Metropolitan Bible Baptist Church in Baguio City. He was 45 years old and a resident of Woodsgate Subdivision in Camp 7. His two companions during the trip (also pastors) were identified as Freddie Ojelen and Eddie Barrientos.

According to the Isabela police, Dogaong didn't know how to swim. Rescuers who responded to the incident took hours to recover the victim's body. Dogaong's remains was brought home to Baguio City on Wednesday (February 18).

The Cagayan River is the largest and longest river in the Philippines. It traverses several provinces in northern Luzon including Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. In light of the drowning incident, residents and visitors are advised to always take care when swimming in the river.

An aerial view of a section of the Cagayan River in the town of Jones in Isabela. Image credit: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).