Part of the wall crashed on the boat carrying five rescuers, leading to their deaths, according to an eyewitness account.
Rosalie Almencion, 31, said the Bulacan Rescue team came aboard a truck to rescue residents trapped in the flood in Sitio Banga Banga in San Miguel Bulacan on Sunday.
The five — Marvy Bartolome, George Agustin, Narciso Calayag, Jerson Resurreccion and Troy Justin Agustin — were dispatched at 4 a.m. to rescue more trapped residents.
About 50 families were earlier evacuated and brought to the Obando evacuation center.
After the truck was stalled by rising flood, the five proceeded to take the boat.
Almencion said a strong surge of floodwater caused the concrete wall to collapse, overturning the boat and throwing the five to different directions,
“They just disappeared from our sight when the boat turned because the current is really strong,” she said.
The bodies of the rescuers were found separately on Monday and brought to the Glory to God Funeral Service in San Miguel.
San Miguel police chief P/Lt. Col. Romualdo Andres said they received a call from concerned citizens about the discovered bodies in Barangay Camias.
Shocked relatives proceeded to the funeral parlor to pick up the bodies. They declined to comment.