Two Ateneo Basketball Players Die in Drowning Incident During Team Activity

Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili, student-athletes on Ateneo de Manila University’s men’s basketball team, died in a drowning incident during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora, on the afternoon of June 8, 2026. The university confirmed their deaths that day and said it was providing support to their families and teammates.

The initial police account was that the two players had been swimming when a strong current carried them into deeper water. In a statement issued that night, Police Brigadier General Jess Mendez, director of Police Regional Office 3, described those findings as preliminary and said the investigation was ongoing. Police said the Dipaculao Municipal Police Station responded immediately after receiving information about the incident. Both players were transported to a medical facility, where they were later declared dead.

At a June 9 press conference, Aurora police official Colonel Percival Pineda said authorities had seen no signs of foul play at that stage. Regional and provincial police were continuing to investigate the deaths.

Baterbonia was an incoming Ateneo rookie and a standout from Ateneo de Davao. He had helped Davao Region win the 2025 Palarong Pambansa basketball title and earned the tournament’s most valuable player award. Adili, a Nigerian foreign student-athlete, had already played for the Blue Eagles in the previous season. One was preparing for his debut; the other was returning to the team.

By early June 9, their remains had been transferred from Aurora Memorial Hospital to Arlington Memorial Chapels and Crematory in Quezon City, according to the university’s update that day. Baterbonia’s parents requested an autopsy. Ateneo said it had coordinated through Arlington with the appropriate authorities, including the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, to facilitate the procedure.

Adili’s family asked for his remains to be returned to Nigeria, in keeping with family and cultural practices important to them. In its June 9 update, Ateneo said it was helping with those arrangements and awaiting the written authorization needed to begin processing the documentation.

The men’s basketball team and coaching staff returned from Aurora on June 9 and attended psychological processing and counseling sessions facilitated by the university’s College Guidance Office. Ateneo committed to continuing counseling and other care in the days and weeks ahead, recognizing that the emotional impact would extend beyond a single session.

That afternoon, Baterbonia’s parents and brother arrived from Davao City. University president Fr. Roberto C. Yap met them at Arlington, conveyed the community’s condolences and spent time with the family. He joined them in prayer and blessed Baterbonia’s remains.