Lightning ends 'promising' love affair

CANDABA - A two and half year of  'promising' love affair ended  into tragedy after lightning struck a 23-year-old boy in a rice field at Barangay Magumbali here the other day.

Rafael Mamawan, a resident from Barangay Mandasig died immediately when he was directly hit by lightning.

He died in front of his girlfriend Abigail Gatus, 21, of the same barangay who is just few steps away.

"Pabalik na po siya sa tricycle na sinasakyan namin, konti na lang nasa tabi kuna siya ng biglang kumidlat ng malakas, isang beses lang. Nakita namin gumuhit sa itaas pababa at tumama mismo kay Raf. Tapos bumagsak na po siya, lumapit po ako agad sa kanya, sunog na po ang katawan niya. Yung mata niya nakadilat nakatingin sa akin, isinara ko po pero binuksan niya ulit. Takot na takot po ako," Gatus stated. 

Mamawan was immediately brought to San Miguel Emergency Hospital but was subsequently declared dead despite timely effort by the attending doctors to revive him.

Gatus narrated that this is the first time her boyfriend decided to go with them in the rice field since he got back to the Philippines two months ago from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

"Kung alam ko lang na ganun ang mangyayari hindi na sama kami sumama sa bukid. Sa isang kisap mata lang nangyari ito sa kaniya," she stated.

She noted that the weather is fine at the time they left home and there is no indication that it would rain until the cloud became dark. 

Gloria Mamawan, mother of the victim claimed she was saddened over the untimely death of his son.

"Nalungkot po kami para sa anak ko. Nang mabalitaan namin ang nangyari sigaw ako ng sigaw tinatawag ko yung mga kasama namin sa bahay," the mother stated. 

She shared that her son and girlfriend are planning to get married early next year but this will nolonger happen due to the incident.