Ateneo Players Recount Fight for Survival in Tragedy That Took Rene Baterbonia & Divine Adili
ATENEO – What began as a routine team-building exercise quickly turned into a nightmare, according to two Ateneo players who survived the tragic incident in Dipaculao, Aurora.
Ateneo Blue Eagles players Sam Reyes and Kieffer Alas have opened up about the tragic team-building incident in Dipaculao, Aurora, that resulted in the deaths of their teammates, Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, on June 8.
Speaking about the heartbreaking event, the two survivors recounted the terrifying moments during a water activity that was part of the team’s training program aimed at testing their agility, resilience, and teamwork. They were accompanied by Ateneo coach Dean Castaño during the exercise.
According to Kieffer, the activity appeared simple and harmless at first. “It was actually a pretty simple, supposed to be, like, a ten-minute thing lang. Our coaches are on the beach, then on the shore. He’s going to walk five minutes and five minutes back.”
The players were instructed to follow the coach in a line while walking through shallow water. Sam explained that the water initially reached thigh level, but conditions quickly changed. “Just starting po, parang konting meters pa lang lumakas na yung alon. The waves are bigger than us.”
What began as a lighthearted activity soon turned dangerous as powerful waves struck the group. Kieffer recalled that teammate Kyle Gamber was among the first to call for help, but many initially thought he was joking. By the third wave, panic had spread throughout the group.
“On the third wave, that’s when everyone started screaming because we couldn’t reach the ground,” Kieffer said.
As the current strengthened, several players struggled to swim back to shore. Sam remembered hearing coaches direct them toward safety, but the waves made it nearly impossible to move. He and teammate Drew Bongo eventually reached sand before turning back to help others.
During the chaos, Divine and Rene became separated from the group. While Rene disappeared, Divine was last seen fighting the waves alongside teammates and swimmer EJ Kapihe, who repeatedly returned to the water to rescue players.
Resort personnel later located Rene, while Divine was found unconscious some time afterward. Both received CPR before being transported to a hospital. According to Sam, teammates later shared accounts indicating that Divine may still have had a pulse before being taken for medical treatment.
The two Ateneo players also denied claims that they had been warned about the dangers posed by strong waves. Reflecting on the incident, Sam said, “For me, when I was almost drowning, I was alone. So, for me, parang kulang po yung safety.”
Kieffer echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that safety concerns became apparent only when the emergency unfolded.
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