Canadian drowns while trying to save woman in Philippines

  • Page Views 2683
  • A 48-year-old man from Moncton in New Brunswick drowned in the Philippines while trying to save someone in distress.

    Gerald Arthur died when he attempted to rescue a woman who was being swept away by high waves.

    The woman, who also died, was swimming December 21 when big waves caused by bad weather hit her.

    The incident happened in the town of Casiguran in Aurora province.

    Arthur’s friend, Stephen Walton, said in a CBC report that Arthur was travelling with his girlfriend, who is from the Philippines.

    The woman who drowned was also a Filipina, but not the Canadian’s girlfriend. The woman had become an American citizen. She was also a tourist in Aurora.

    “It’s hard to grasp,” said Walton in the CBC report. “He was looking forward to that trip so much, and he and his new girlfriend Sally were having fun … and you couldn’t write a more tragic story in my mind.”

    “Most of us know that one person that doesn’t have a mean bone in his body and doesn’t have an enemy in the world,” said Walton. “A pretty gentle soul — that was Gerald for sure.

    “Gerald was pretty far from the athletic type and I’m pretty sure he was just at a modest skill of swimming and you know compared to someone … who would be an excellent swimmer, who may go in to save somebody,” said Walton in the CBC report. “Obviously that would be good of them, but not necessarily so brave — it might come pretty easy to them.”

    “But Gerald, I’m sure that wasn’t the case. But he would have overcame … any fear he had of going in there just to try and save that person who he barely knew,” Walton said in the CBC report.

    CBC also reported that a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said Canadian officials are providing consular assistance to the family.

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 21 March 2024
      7 days ago No comment

      Canada eyes space cooperation with Philippines

      The Philippines held its first space cooperation conference on March 19, 2024 as the country seeks to explore opportunities presented by the heavens. The conference was organized by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies, a Metro Manila-based think-tank; the fledgling Philippine Space Agency; and ...

    • 14 March 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Mable endorses campaign for Benson Flores marker

      Mable Elmore is supporting the campaign to raise funds for a memorial marker for pioneer immigrant Benson Flores. Elmore is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Vancouver-Kensington, which is also home to Mountain View Cemetery where Flores is buried in an unmarked grave. MLA Elmore ...

    • 07 March 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Quiboloy church linked to fake marriages in Canada

      Some 100 allegedly fraudulent marriages in Canada are connected to the religious group led by the spiritual adviser of now former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. This stunning allegation was made on March 5, 2024 by Dindo Maquiling, a former follower of Apollo Quiboloy. Maquiling is a former executive director ...

    • 07 March 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      MP Valdez Visits Vancouver

      Liberal MP Rechie Valdez visited Vancouver to meet with BC Business owners at the Dubai National Air Travel Agency (DNATA) Catering in Richmond recently. The meet and greet was an opportunity for local businesses to dialogue directly with Valdez whose portfolio includes small businesses. The roundtable discussion was led ...

    • 29 February 2024
      4 weeks ago No comment

      Minimum wage increases to $17.40 an hour on June 1 VICTORIA

      For Immediate Release Feb. 26, 2024 VICTORIA – B.C.’s lowest-paid workers will get a pay raise when the general minimum wage increases from $16.75 to $17.40 per hour on June 1, 2024. This represents a 3.9% increase, consistent with B.C.’s average rate of inflation in 2023. The alternate minimum ...

    %d bloggers like this: