Two young men drowned in Valencia, Negros Oriental, during All Saints Day Thursday and Mayor Enrique Gonzales Jr. said he is considering assigning a lifeguard at one of the town's tourist attractions.

Police identified the fatalities as Darryl Lim, 22, of Cavite City, and Anthony Patacsil, 20, of Baguio City, both said to be working for the Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative in Dumaguete City. The two were on an outing with two female companions when tragedy struck around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Gonzales said.

The group was swimming near the Casaroro waterfalls when one of the victims reportedly disappeared and the other went to his rescue but both of them failed to surface, reports said.

Rescuers retrieved the bodies from the bottom of the waterfalls hours later, Gonzalez said.

Aside from the possibility of hiring a lifeguard, Gonzales also said tourists will be warned to take the necessary precautions while at the Casaroro Falls.

This was not the first time that a drowning incident had occurred at the Falls, that is about 100 feet high, with its waters plunging into a basin that attracts tourists to go swimming.*JFP

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