From THE PANGASINAN COURIER, Dagupan City, November 3, 1963:

According to police findings, little Karina Garcia and the Maryknoll teacher, MISS Norma Petilla went out swimming with seven others in the Blue Beach near the vicinity of SWA-OVR Training Center. That was about 11 o’clock. It was reported that they were about to go eat their lunch when Miss Petilla suggested they “take a last dip.” It appeared that the two, Misses Garcia and Petilla, were caught by a big wave which took them further out to the deeper waters. However no one in the group suspected that the two were drowning….

Witnesses said Ermin Garcia Jr.. who was with the group, tried to save the two girls but he, too, was caught by the big wave. Some people wading on the shore helped recover the bodies. The unconscious victims were taken to the Provincial Hospital. However efforts to revive them were futile.

But for the alert presence of mind of a Bonuan resident, Ermin Garcia, Jr. would also have drowned. Seeing him helpless, GREGORIO MENESES swam to rescue the younger Garcia and took him to safety.

Karina was buried yesterday morning in the Catholic Cemetery in San Fabian, Pangasinan. Her body was taken to the San Fabian Catholic Church for the last blessing followed by a long motorcade of relatives, friends, and sympathizers. Rev. Tito Tito Fernandez, assisted by Rev. Guido Tiong , officiated in the funeral rites. She was interred in the tomb of her grandmother, the late JOsefa Erfe-Mejia-Garcia .

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