7 fishermen missing after boat, cargo vessel collide in Palawan —PCG

Seven fishermen were reported missing after their fishing boat collided with a cargo vessel in Agutaya, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday. 

In its maritime incident report, the agency said its PCG Command Center received information that a Filipino fishing vessel collided on Saturday with MV Happy Hiro, a cargo vessel sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, in the vicinity waters off Maracanao Island in Agutaya, Palawan.

This was confirmed by PCG spokesperson CG Commodore Armando Balilo in a Super Radyo dzBB interview, noting that the collision happened at around 5:40 p.m.

The PCG reported that 13 out of the 20 fishermen of FB JOT-18 were rescued by Fishing Boat BAL 5, while the remaining seven crew members were still missing.

According to MV Happy Hiro’s Medical Officer, Mckinley Amante, 12 of the 13 rescued fishermen had scratches due to the incident.

The 13th fisherman, meanwhile, had a minor wound on his head. He was given first aid and was in a stable condition.

Earlier, PCG Coast Guard District Palawan said that out of 21 crew on board the fishing vessel, 13 were rescued by Fishing Boat BAL 5, while the remaining eight crew members are still missing.

The 13 crew members were said to be transferred to MV Happy Hiro which was then en route to Lipata, Culasi, Antique to transport the rescued fishermen.

Upon clearance from the Bureau of Quarantine, PCG’s BRP Panglao (FPB-2402) ferried the rescued fishermen to the shoreline.

Meanwhile, MRRV 4406 BRP Suluan, together with rescue teams from Coast Guard Station Cuyo and Sub Station Agutay in Iloilo, are currently conducting search and rescue operations, the PCG said.

“Nagbigay na ng directive ang aming commandant, si Admiral Art Abu, na magkaroon ng isang malawakang search and rescue para hanapin itong walong crew na nawawala pa,” Balilo added.

(Our commandant, Admiral Abu, has given a directive to have a wide search and rescue operation to find the eight missing crew members.)

The PCG noted that the majority of the fishermen of FB JOT-18 were residents of Bantayan Island, Cebu, while one of them was a resident of Estancia, Iloilo. —KG, GMA News