Metro Manila, Philippines — More than a week after surviving the Aurora training camp tragedy that claimed the lives of teammates Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, Ateneo men’s basketball players Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes said they continue to grapple with grief, survivor’s guilt, and intense public scrutiny.
“We lost two of our brothers,” Alas said during an appearance on the Let’s Talk with Pia Hontiveros podcast.
“Para sobrang sakit po kasi nabuhay nga kami pero parang pinapatay kami,” he added.
[Translation: “It’s so painful because while we survived, it feels like we are being killed.”]
The two survivors broke their silence on the June 8 incident, recounting how they nearly lost their own lives and how the team desperately searched for their missing teammates after reaching the shore.
According to Reyes, it was the Ateneo players themselves who pulled Baterbonia from the water during the frantic search that followed.
“When we saw Rene, it was us who carried him out of the water. Not the first responders,” Reyes said.
Alas said the players were still recovering from their own struggle to survive when they realized that Baterbonia and Adili were unaccounted for.
“When we heard that, we were totally shocked,” Alas said. “After almost dying ourselves, we didn’t want to lose a teammate.”
“We couldn’t understand what was going on. It felt like a dream. It all happened so quickly,” he added.
Routine drill gone tragic
The tragedy, the players said, unfolded during what was supposed to be a routine agility drill as part of the team’s training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora.
Reyes explained that the players were instructed to stand in shallow water and mirror the movements of a coach who was positioned on the shoreline.
“We were just starting then the waves suddenly got stronger,” Reyes recalled.
The players admitted they initially laughed when the first wave hit, believing it was harmless. However, the water rose rapidly, and powerful currents began pulling the players away from their positions.
The struggle to stay afloat
As the undertow intensified, the players struggled to stay afloat and swim back to safety. Reyes said he eventually reached a point where he feared he would not make it back.
“Basically noong third time ko po mag-try, doon na po ako napaisip na hindi na ata ako makakalabas dito. Tapos parang there was an urge, kasi pagod na pagod na ako, then something came up to my mind na kaya ko pa ‘to,” Reyes said.
[Translation: “On my third attempt, that’s when I thought I might not make it out of there. I was completely exhausted, but something inside told me I could still do this.”]
Alas described a similar near-death experience, saying he had nearly accepted his fate before finally feeling the ground beneath him.
“I really gave up. Then after a few more seconds went by, I felt my feet touch the sand. There was a glimpse of hope,” Alas said.
The search continued for Adili, whose body was recovered shortly after Baterbonia’s.
Both survivors said they decided to speak publicly to address growing speculation surrounding the tragedy, emphasizing that behind the ongoing investigations and public discussions are grieving teammates who are still mourning the loss of two close friends.
