Key Takeaways from Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes’ Tell-All on Ateneo Drowning Tragedy

Ateneo’s Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes open up in detail on their ill-fated training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora.

A day after Ateneo de Manila University addressed the drowning incident that claimed the lives of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, two Blue Eagles have come forward to air their side on the training camp held in Dipaculao, Aurora. 

In an interview on Let’s Talk With Pia Hontiveros aired on Tuesday, June 16, rookie Kieffer Alas and third-year player Sam Reyes went into detail about the tragedy, recalling that things began to unravel during a walking exercise along the beach with assistant coach Dean Castañeda last June 8. 

Players were in a straight-line formation during the drill, with the player at the end of the line closest to open water. According to them, it was meant to enhance their “change of direction and agility” come game-time. 

However, around a minute into the afternoon exercise, waves taller than the players began to build around the shoreline. 

But how exactly did this tragedy unfold? Here are some key details from Alas and Reyes’ tell-all.

No hazing or initiation; players briefed beforehand

A major talking point throughout the tragedy was Ateneo’s Aurora camps being an “initiation” ritual, and that the Blue Eagles were seemingly unaware of the consequences. However, the camp is actually meant to foster chemistry, rather than being an initiation it was made out to be.  

“Brotherhood ‘yung (intention) talaga, and he (Coach Tab Baldwin) was trying to incorporate our BEBOB talaga,” Alas said. “It just hurts how people perceive it that way (like a hazing). I know my veterans wouldn’t do that. They wouldn’t do that to me or any of the rookies so it’s hard to see it online.” 

Baldwin, they said, also briefed them about rip currents in the area, and a “long discussion” was held in order to teach the Blue Eagles necessary survival techniques. 

Recalled Alas, “We had a pretty long discussion about it, where we should swim vertically to the shore when there are rip currents, and he even warned against uneven sand, where you can randomly go back up or down.” 

“They were just telling us to pack a lot of gear like shorts, socks, then they were telling us na we’re gonna do a lot of work on the sand and water,” Reyes added. 

Series of waves scattered the players into the ocean

A total of three huge waves pushed the Blue Eagles away from the shore.

“Second wave, one of our teammates, Kyle Gamber, started screaming. He was around my area, me and Jay-M (Leal). Us three were near each other then he got separated and went to the back,” Alas said.

“The weird thing is that we were all laughing because we were all joking. Because nung first wave talaga kasi, we were riding the wave and we didn’t realize na hinahatak na po kami,” Alas continued. “Nung second wave, dun na po namin narealize na [something was wrong].” 

“Third wave, that’s when everyone started screaming na, because we couldn’t reach the ground. Si Malcolm (Tyler), our six-foot-ten teammate, parang it was here na sa mouth. Eh parang six-two lang ata kami ni Sam…we have moved back.” 

From there, the waves only continued to “scatter” the Blue Eagles throughout the water, and attempts to swim toward the shore were rendered null by strong currents.

Four players did not know how to swim

As the two Eagles recounted, it was Adili, Jay-M Leal, Ian Espinosa, and even Alas that did not know how to swim. All three became reliant on their teammates once they were pushed into deep water. 

Espinosa initially held on to import Malcolm Tyler, before Reyes attempted to help him reach the shore. The senior guard was eventually pulled to safety by his coaches. 

Alas, Adili, and Leal hung on to Kapihe, only to be separated after the Fil-Hawaiian’s desperate push to get them to shore. 

“I was on the shoulder, Divine was on the shoulder. Si Jay-M nasa harap niya for like a solid 20 seconds, tas tinulak na lang kami ni EJ closer to the shore. It worked for a bit, but it just kept on bringing me and JM back,” Alas recounted. 

“Eh kami ni Jay-M, parang naka-bear hug na kami to each other to try and float. Kaso it wasn’t working, and we just went down and down and down.” 

Like Espinosa, Leal was guided to safety by the coaches, and was given a volleyball to serve as a floatee. Alas, however, found himself in a more critical situation.

“I was underwater for I guess more than 20 seconds, parang nag give up na po talaga ako. Once time kept on going by, I finally felt the floorbed; I was going down and down. Parang I was going to accept na mawawala na po ako,” Alas admitted. 

Alas eventually jumped for air once he felt his feet touch the ground, while also realizing how far he’d been separated from his teammates. Fortunately, Tyler made his way closer to the rookie, teaching him to float with his stomach up. 

“I tried doing a thing na hihiga muna ako pag may wave, tas pag mawawala, I tried doggy paddling because I really don’t know how to swim. I kept repeating that, tas ang tagal ko sa tubig then I saw Sam. I screamed for his name, we went to each other, and that’s when we started paddling together kasi namumulikat na ako noon.” 

EJ Kapihe makes it a point to save his teammates

Kapihe’s role wasn’t just limited to aiding Alas, Adili, and Leal, as the forward went “back-and-forth” just to ensure all of his teammates are safe.

“He was saving people, then he was trying to save Divine. Pero hindi niya kinaya ‘yung bigat ni Divine,” Alas said. 

“EJ was saving people, then when he got tired, he would go back to shore, rest for a bit, then he swam back in po,” said Reyes. 

As mentioned, coaches also did their part. There was Castaño and their physical trainer, who gave Reyes instructions from the shoreline to float in order to conserve energy. Assistant coach Sandro Soriano was the one who helped Kyle Gamber get to shore along with Espinosa.

“Nung time na ‘yun, Coach Tab was paddling with a surfboard on the way to Ian and Coach Sandro,” Reyes said.

Limited safety equipment?

However, also worth noting was the Blue Eagles’ safety equipment on hand. According to Reyes, the team brought around two salbabida, while the resort had their own salbabida and a surfboard. In terms of personnel, the resort had one lifeguard on duty, along with a security guard.

“I’m pretty sure we also brought three volleyballs to help with floating din yata,” Alas added.

Coaches, though, went ahead to inspect the area.

“They tested out the water and they were saying may sandbar doon, and ‘yung pinakamalalim is parang flag daw po doon,” Reyes shared.

As waters were determined to be “shallow”, no player wore life vests during the fateful exercise.

First responders just ‘spectating’, interrupted CPR on Baterbonia 

According to Kieffer Alas and Sam Reyes, Baterbonia was found around 30 minutes after majority of the team reached the shore. It was a resort staff who found Baterbonia, with captain Jared Bahay rushing to aid his fallen teammate. 

Alas and Reyes pointed out that the Blue Eagles carried Baterbonia’s body to the shore, while rescuers acted as mere onlookers. 

“When we saw Rene, it was us who carried him out of the water. Not the first responders; wala pong tumulong. They were just watching, spectating us,” Reyes lamented. 

Added Alas, “One of them had his phone out, and I was wondering why. Hindi talaga kami makasalita ni Coach Sandro. We couldn’t focus on what was happening; we were overwhelmed but I saw it in my eyes that he was just filming.” 

Even their physical trainer’s CPR on Baterbonia was interrupted in order to place him in a stretcher, and eventually, an ambulance. The two players believe this was malpractice on the first responders’ end. 

“‘Yung kay Rene, si Sir Jerick, then pina-stop ng medic para ilagay sa stretcher to rush to the ambulance. I’m not sure if that was the right practice,” Reyes said. 

Divine Adili still had a pulse

Perhaps there was nothing more surprising than the revelation of Adili still having a pulse. Adili was found right after the ambulance carrying Baterbonia left for the hospital. Around 15 Blue Eagles carried Adili to shore, who was then rushed to the hospital in a police vehicle.

“I heard po from my other teammates…kasi after what happened, we gathered in the pool and we shared our POVs on kung anong nangyari,” Reyes said. 

Alas recalls that Baldwin and Castaño accompanied Adili to the hospital as they drove in a convoy with the police vehicle. 

No ankle weights in the training camp

Photos surfaced online days after the incident, with one attracting added scrutiny due to Coach Tab Baldwin holding supposed “ankle weights”. Baterbonia’s mother, Rovelyn, also alleged that such accessories were used in their training camp.

However Reyes clarified that those “ankle weights” were actually drone controllers that were used to locate players who were yet to reach the shore. 

“‘Yung picture po na nakikita na may hawak si Coach Tab was a controller ng drone niya,” Reyes clarified. 

“We used the drone to look for some people, or for a better angle of who is struggling,” added Alas.

No other players were in critical condition

Online rumors hinted that other Blue Eagles had to be revived aside from Baterbonia and Adili. Some even tagged Alas and Gamber. But as we learned in the tell-all, this wasn’t really the case. 

“No, wala po. Ang pinakamalala lang po ay nagsusuka na po sila sa beach. They were puking out the water,” Reyes stressed. 

Baterbonia was never looked down by the Blue Eagles

As audiences caught wind of the incident, some netizens claimed that Ateneo fosters an elitist culture, where the likes Baterbonia are shunned by players from wealthier backgrounds. The players quickly shot down these rumors, sharing that the Blue Eagles were more than open to welcome Rene into their brotherhood.

“To the people who commented na parang we hated and we don’t accept Rene, we were open arms to Rene. Personally, I wanted to know him better, because during those days, we were having fun,” Reyes said.

“Especially ‘yung mga Pinoy. There were a couple of pure Pinoys na naging close na talaga kami tapos sumali si Rene. Sinama namin and we were getting close in the short time na nakasama namin siya,” Alas continued.

Players carry survivor’s guilt, have received death threats

Admittedly, Alas and Reyes now carry survivor’s guilt. The two were roommates with Adili and Baterbonia in Aurora, along with Shawn Tuano and reserve foreign student-athlete Sultan Baruwa.

“I feel guilt because Rene was beside me, and I felt that I could have done more para hindi siya malunod. It was eating me alive, and there were times that I was just awake,” Reyes shared. 

The players have also received death threats, along with below-the-belt comments from netizens.

“It’s like going through two deaths. The first one is losing my two teammates, then now being criticized for their deaths. We lost them, we witnessed it happen, then every social media person or anybody is putting the blame on us. It’s hard to put into words, but this is what we’ve been feeling this past week,” Alas lamented. 

“We’ve been getting death threats on every social media we have.” 

They felt Ateneo’s lack of urgency in releasing information

For them, the backlash can be attributed to the lack of verified information, especially from Ateneo’s end. Following the incident, netizens have been exposed to speculation and unverified rumors, along with vague information from video footage released online.

This is why Kieffer Alas, Sam Reyes, and other Blue Eagles decided to go on record, even with the risk of audiences taking their words out of context. 

“Honestly, yes po. I feel like the speculation, the rumors, the threats and hate towards us players is due to maybe not enough information, so that just made them guess from all the photos and hearsay,” Alas responded when asked about Ateneo’s handling of the situation.

No contact from fact-finding inquiry yet

But why did it take this long for the Blue Eagles to come forward? Initially, there were instructions from coaches not to speak about the incident in public. The coaches hoped to inform families personally, rather than them finding things out on social media. Grief was another factor, as the trauma weighed heavily on the players. 

Players opted to wait for Ateneo’s fact-finding inquiry, and although they had been given a heads-up, the Blue Eagles were met with radio silence.  

“Sabi samin na it’s ongoing, but I don’t know what’s happening in their inner circle. But sabi samin na meron daw po,” Alas said, with Reyes shaking his head when asked about the inquiry.

Stay or Go?

For now, Kieffer Alas admits the need to step back from basketball after everything that’s happened.

“Maybe a couple of weeks of rest and recover mentally about what just happened. But I’m pretty sure in the long run, I want to go back playing the game I love. Pero feel ko hindi pa po ako ready right now, but I’m sure I’ll be ready — I don’t know how long — but I think I’ll go back to basketball,” he reflected.

Reyes is committed to playing basketball in honor of Adili and Baterbonia, especially if Ateneo pushes through with UAAP Season 89.

“Wala, ganun pa din naman po. If they suspend us, next year, they’re still gonna bash us, hate on us. It’s gonna be the same thing,” he said.

Alas called on the public to understand their trauma, along with the underlying circumstances behind their perceived silence.

“I just hope you guys know that it was really hard for us to speak up, na I hope you guys understand where we come from. We experienced the trauma as well,” admitted Alas as he held back tears.

“And to Divine and Rene, we miss you guys and I want to give my condolences to their families. You guys have been in our prayers.”

Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.