Motorized banca runs aground off Cordova: 58 passengers saved in 3 accidents; gale warning ignored

IN THE NAVY. Soldiers from the special operations unit of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Central prepare to attach an outboard motor to a rubber boat that was used to bring distressed passengers of the M/B Clarin Cruiser back to shore. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Three sea accidents involving motor bancas that were gripped by rough seas ended on a happy note.
All 58 distressed passengers and crew were saved.

The coast guard and the navy rescued 48 passengers and seven crewmen of a  motor banca that was marooned in an island in Cordova town in Mactan island  yesterday afternoon.

Rescue operations were carried out by nine members of the Navy’s  special operations unit  after  receving a report that a fishing vessel had  capsized off Lauis Ledge near  Talisay City.

However, the coast guard and  passengers  told Cebu Daily News that the motor banca  M/B Clarin Cruiser did not capsize.

The motor banca left Pasil fishport in Cebu City on its way to  Getafe in Bohol.

According to Rear Adm. William Melad, district commander of the Philippine Coast Guard, the M/B Clarin Cruiser   was registered under Fulgencia H. Cellan.

Gale warning

Melad said the boat master, Raul Alipuyo of Inabanga, Bohol,  disregarded a gale warning issued yesterday by maritime authorities and decided to continue with the voyage.

Passenger  Iris Anana, 34 of barangay Ermita, Cebu City, said the sea condition was good as they passed  Lauis Ledge, but strong waves started battering the vessel after they passed the parola (lighthouse).

“The captain told us to wear life jackets and  said that we need to dock near an island because the winds and waves were strong,” she recalled.

The banca started to take in water soon after it sought shelter in an islet of  Cordova town, prompting them to call the coast guard for help.
The rescued passengers and crew were brought to the Navforcen gymnasium and were given food and dry clothes.

I in Langtad, Naga City a fishing boat capsized at 8 a.m yesterday. .

A 51-year old man and his 13-year old son, who went missing for five hours, were found alive by members of the Bantay Dagat and coastguard who were conducting search and rescue operations.
“Both of them were safe and were brought to South District Hospital,” said Gary Cabotaje information officer of the Naga City government

A 63-year-old fisherman who went missing Thursday afternoon was found in a pumpboat attached to a floater yesterday morning.

Juanito Alcos of  barangay Poblacion, Aloguinsan, has been out in the sea for over 30 hours when strong waves fanned by tropical storm Mario prevented him from sailing back to port.
At 2:17 p.m., Alcos reportedly sent a text message to his wife, Adelaida, and told her that his boat ran out of fuel and that he would instead swim to the coast.

After three hours of waiting, worried wife alerted the police n Balamban and Asturias towns. A search and rescue party was immediately organized and set out to look for the fisherman at 5 p.m.
A group of seven fishermen that also joined the search also got lost, but they were later located at around 9 p.m. near Balamban waters.

Alcos was found by a rescue team led by Insp. Philip John Libres of the Asturias Municipal Police Office at around 7 a.m. Friday off the Tanon Strait, approximately 70 kilometers from where he was last tracked.

According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Head Baltazar Tribunalo, Alcos is a veteran fisherman.

“He is in good shape but had gone weak due to hunger,” he told Cebu Daily News. / with correspondent Victor Anthony V. Silva and intern Roselle Quirimit