A seven month old baby and his mother are rescued from the waters off Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte on Friday morning, May 31, 2019. | screen grab from JB Mamugay
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 34-year-old mother, who was carrying her seven-month old baby, jumped overboard a ship bound for Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte from Cebu City at nearly 7 a.m. on Friday, May 31.
She and the baby survived after they were rescued by the ship’s crew.
The ship’s crew later found out that the mother was distraught after she argued with her husband earlier and was not in her right frame of mind when she jumped overboard.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7), confirmed the incident about the mother jumping overboard as the ship, MV Lady of Joy, was a few hours away from the Galas Port in Dipolog City.
The ship left Cebu City for Dipolog at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 and was just a few hours from making port in Dipolog City when the incident happened.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, PCG-7 spokesperson, said that at around 6 a.m. on May 31, the mother carrying her infant was seen anxiously walking along the ship’s corridor near the railings.
Some of the crewmen later saw the mother suddenly jumped overboard the ship with the baby still in her arms.
The crewmen immediately threw a life ring near the mother and her child who were drifting away from the ship.
They then informed the ship’s captain, Captain Neil Mark Amto, who promptly turned the ship around and ordered the crew to rescue the mother and the baby.
It took them 20 minutes to rescue the mother and the baby, where they administered first aid to both mother and baby.
The MV Lady of Joy docked at the Gala port at 7:33 a.m. and the Dipolog Coast Guard together with the Dipolog City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Team (DCDRRMO) rushed the mother and the baby to the hospital.
Encina said that the Dipolog Coast Guard reported that the woman might not have been in the right state of mind when she jumped overboard due to her fight with her husband. /dbs