AN 11-year-old girl was rushed to hospital in critical condition after she nearly drowned while swimming with her friends in Manila Bay on Tuesday morning.
The girl identified as Rhianne Janiel Soriano, a Grade 6 student and resident of Adriatico Street, Manila, is now in the pediatric intensive care unit of the Ospital ng Maynila because doctors still have to remove the liquid the penetrated her lungs.
Rescuers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority rushed her to the hospital after she was saved from drowning, according to her mother Marivic Madilas.
Madilas said that she did not know that her daughter went swimming with her friends. She only learned the incident after her daughter’s friend told her that her daughter was already in the hospital on Feb. 5.
“Naengganyo kasi siya magswimming kasi akala niya na malinis na ang Manila Bay,” she said.
Madilas also asked the authorities to secure the vicinity of Manila Bay to avoid similar incident.
Hundreds of people still swim in the polluted waters of Manila Bay despite a ban imposed by the city government.
Authorities reiterated that swimming in Manila Bay is not yet allowed as the waters remain unsafe due to high coliform content which poses health risks.
Among the water-borne diseases that may be acquired while swimming in Manila Bay are diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, skin diseases, and eye infections. (Erma Edera)
