The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office-Operations Center (CDRRMO-OPCEN) on Monday afternoon reported that four out of the seven individuals who went missing in Mini Asik-Asik Falls, Barangay Carmen, Baguio District, Davao City, have been retrieved.
On Sunday, 19 people were trapped after a sudden rise in water in Mini Asik-Asik Falls, which also affected tributary in Calinan District.
According to the report from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), 12 individuals were stranded but later rescued in Tamayong, Calinan District, while seven individuals were swept away in Mini Asik-Asik Falls, Baguio District.
On Monday afternoon, a body of a female victim was recovered along the Talomo River channel. Described as a woman between 25 and 30 years old, with distinctive tattoos—a flower on her right arm and a dog on her right leg—the body has yet to be formally identified as one of the missing.
Also on Monday, the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Mintal recovered a lifeless body on Tapay Street, Plant 2A, Barangay Mintal.
Authorities said of the four victims, two were rescued.
The CDRRMO added that rescue and retrieval operations for the remaining missing individuals to continue on Tuesday due to adverse weather.
In light of the incident, CDRRMO head Alfredo Baloran reiterated a long-standing ban on recreational activities at Mini Asik-Asik Falls. The ban has been in effect since 2023 due to the area’s high vulnerability to natural hazards, including landslides, rockfalls, and flooding.
The prohibition followed a mass-wasting event, and the area was subsequently classified as highly prone to landslides, making it too dangerous for tourists.
