Cargo vessel rescues 24 fishermen off Pangasinan

By VR/Sunnex
Sun Star Manila, Saturday, June 11, 2011

A CARGO vessel rescued 24 fishermen whose ship sank off Pangasinan at the height of storm Dodong, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Friday.

With the assistance of a Philippine Navy islander plane, the MV Sea Palace was able to locate and eventually rescue the 24 fishermen, OCD Ilocos region director Andrew Alex Uy said.

The group still proceeded to fish onboard the F/B 3MS Wolf at the Scarborough Shoal off Zambales.

However, the vessel lost radio contact on their way to back to Bolinao, Pangasinan on Thursday afternoon, prompting the search.

Earlier, it was reported that the fishermen numbered 26 and that they were at at the Spratlys Island or in the South China Sea off Palawan.

At around 12 noon Friday, a Navy aircraft spotted the fishermen 38 nautical miles northwest of Bolinao, floating in the water with their life jackets, Uy said.

"They were floating. Its fortunate that all of them have life jackets," he said.

He said the aircraft then spotted the transiting cargo vessel. “The Navy established communication , it coordinated with the MV Sea Palace to pick up the victim and ferry them…All of them are alive and were rescued,” he said.

The MV Sea Palace is expected to arrive Bolinao 4:30 p.m Friday.

sunstar.com.ph

Cargo ship rescues 24 Filipino fishermen

Philippine Star, Friday, June 10, 2011

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A transiting cargo ship on Friday rescued 24 Filipino fishermen whose ship sank off the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan after venturing into fishing in the South China Sea at the height of a tropical depression, an official of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.

Andrew Alex Uy, a regional director of the OCD, said MV Sea Palace picked up the 24 fishermen, not 26 as previously reported by another official, upon coordination by a Philippine Navy islander plane tasked to conduct an aerial search.

Uy said the fishermen went on fishing aboard the F/B 3MS Wolf. On their way back to Pangasinan yesterday afternoon, the fishing boat lost radio contact, prompting the search.

Earlier, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive officer and OCD administrator Benito Ramos said the fishermen were numbering 26.

At around 12 noon Friday, Uy said, a Navy aircraft spotted the fishermen floating in the water with their life jackets 70.4 kilometers northwest of Bolinao town, Pangasinan province.

The aircraft then spotted the transiting cargo vessel.

"The Navy established communication, it coordinated with the MV Sea Palace to pick up the victims and ferry them..All of them are alive and were rescued," said Uy, adding the cargo ship was due to arrive at Bolinao 4:30 p.m Friday.

philstar.com