4 Yamashita treasure hunters die in Bukidnon
TIMRA Reports • 08:00 AM Wed Mar 13, 2024
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By:
Editha Z. Caduaya
The remains of one of the treasure hunters in Kadingilan, Bukidnon. (Newsline.PH
DAVAO CITY — Four Yamashita treasure hunters died inside the cave they were exploring in Sitio Tinago, Barangay Cabadiangan in the town of Kadingilan in the province of Bukidnon last Sunday.
The area is about 20 kilometers away from the town center without electricity or internet signal. However, the victims brought a generator to explore the coveted Yamashita treasure.
Apart from their families, no one knows their intentions.
But their silence broke off when the police received a report on Sunday, March 10 at around 8:40 in the evening that four people were trapped inside a cave and were suffering from suffocation due to the smoke coming from the water pump.
When the police arrived at that place they could not enter due to the thick smoke coming from the cave, so they contacted the disaster office.
Yesterday, a rescue operation was carried out by the rescuers of the Kadangilan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the local police, and a team from the Bureau of Fire Protection and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Bukidnon province.
The team on Monday night retrieved the body of 21-year-old Ivan Rey Otida Gallardo a few steps from the entrance of the cave.
Then they recovered the body of Maxime Gonzaga alias Bobong, 40 years old, unemployed, and a resident of Palma in the town of Kibawi, was recovered.
At around 1:49 p.m. on Tuesday, the body of Edgardo Diaz, 65 years old, resident of P-2 Sinanguyan, Don Carlos was found.
Jemer Paquiao, who is familiar with the cave said that the victims ran out of oxygen.
According to the relatives of the victims, those who entered the cave may have run out of air while others believe they may have been poisoned because even the birds who lived in the cave died.
As of press time, the rescuers are trying to retrieve the body of Rudy Sumalpong since his location has been determined.
According to Sumalpong’s wife Jenny, they should suffer as a family rather than be a millionaire because of the Yamashita treasure, but it is too late to say now, that her husband has been presumed dead.
Many have died in the search for the so-called Yamashita treasure.
But until now it remains a fable, no one came out to tell his story of finding a piece of Yamashita’s treasure.