One person has been rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard Search and Rescue teams as 14 remain missing after a boat carrying 15 people, including divers and crew, capsized in waters off Davao Occidental, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The motorised banca (a type of Filipino motor boat) Amejara lost contact while sailing through the Davao Gulf, a large body of water separating Davao Oriental, a coastal province on the eastern side of the island of Mindanao, from Davao Occidental.
Initial reports said the boat was carrying 11 divers, but a notice to Mariners from the Coast Guard has clarified that there were 11 passengers on board and four crew members. The rescued man, who was found at around 10.46 am local time on Tuesday morning, is reported to be one of the crew.
The Coast Guard issued a statement saying that a total of 14 floating assets, including boats and jet skis, and one aircraft, have been deployed by regional coast guard stations and the Naval Forces of Eastern Mindanao.
In the immediate aftermath of the boats disappearance, the Coast Guard said it was searching the southern portion of the Gulf as it had received after receiving a mobile phone message from the divers, according local news outlet MindaNews by phone.
Initial reports on the boat’s route conflict, but the Philippine Coast Guard has since said in a statement that Amejara left Santa Ana Wharf in Davao City at around 8pm on the evening of Saturday, 17 January en route to the town of Governor Generosa on Davao Oriental, where it was expected to arrive on Monday 19.
The Police Regional Maritime Unit 11 (RMU 11) reported in a separate Facebook post, however, that Amejara’s last contact with the authorities was at 4:35 pm on Monday evening while sailing towards Sarangani, an island off the southern tip of Davao Occidental.
The Coast Guard has also confirmed that the rescued man was found ‘drifting in the waters off Sarangani’.
Several reports have surfaced indicating that the vessel left port without proper clearance from the Coast Guard, although no specifics have been given as to the reason why it might have been prohibited from sailing.
The Philippine Coast Guard has issued a Notice to Mariners advising all ships, watercraft, and fisherfolk transiting within Davao Gulf to maintain heightened vigilance, ‘particularly in the waters of Malita, Sta. Maria, and Don Marcelino, as well as the vicinity waters of Balut Island, Sarangani Island, Jose Abad Santos, North Jose Abad Santos (Davao Occidental), and Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental.’
In a statement posted to Facebook, Commodore Philipps Y Soria, District Commander of the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao, said coordination with Coast Guard stations and other partner agencies is ongoing.
‘We assure that the Search and Rescue team will continue doubling its effort and do everything to locate the passengers and ensure their safety,’ he said.
This is an ongoing news story and we will bring you updates as we receive them…
