MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo Blue Eagles player Sam Reyes recounted the tragic Dipaculao, Aurora incident, revealing that Nigerian import Divine Adili, 21, still had a pulse after being rescued and brought to shore.
Speaking in a Let’s Talk podcast with Pia Hontiveros, Reyes said he was certain Adili showed signs of life before being carried to a police vehicle, while he remained unsure about the condition of Rene Baterbonia.
“The only one that I heard has a pulse was Divine,” Reyes said.
“On the beach? He had a pulse?” Hontiveros pressed.
Reyes confirmed: “Yes, he had a pulse.”
Reyes added that this information came from teammates as they later gathered to share their accounts of the incident.
“I heard it from my other teammates,” Reyes added. “After what happened, we gathered at the pool and shared our perspectives and POVs.”
Alas and Reyes also recalled that Baterbonia was the first to be recovered, with their coaching staff immediately performing CPR. However, rescuers instructed them to stop so he could be rushed to an ambulance.
The two athletes said that the decision to halt CPR was made to prioritize immediate transport to medical responders.
