Yacht found safe

CEBU, Philippines - After mysteriously “disappearing” while en route to Cebu from Guam, an American yacht was finally located near Leyte Gulf yesterday morning.

As of last night The Pineapple, manned by five Americans, was already being towed to Maasin, Southern Leyte, for refueling.

According to Commander Anelito Gabisan, deputy commander and spokesman of the Central Eastern Visayas Coast Guard, the 11-meter catamaran was spotted by PCG rescue aircraft around 10 a.m. yesterday while flying over the Leyte Gulf.

The rescue aircraft of the Coast Guard immediately contacted rescue vessel BRP San Juan to set sail for the location of The Pineapple.

Gabisan said that the rescue vessel later radioed The Pineapple which responded to report no injured passengers aboard aside from unspecified damage to the vessel.

At around 1 p.m. yesterday, the San Juan successfully rendezvoused with The Pineapple.

Gabisan added that the Pineapple will be towed to their Maasin City station in the Southern part of Leyte where it will refuel so it could continue its voyage to Cebu.

Maasin City Coast Guard Operations Officer Eduardo Bulalaque told The FREEMAN they received communication that The Pineapple is set to arrive early dawn today for refueling and possible checkup of their passenger’s condition. 

The Pineapple which left the port of Guam last January 6 with four men and a woman was expected by their relatives in Cebu to arrive last January 16. 

After they failed to make it on time worried relatives immediately alerted the US Coast Guard to the missing vessel after almost a week of no communication. 

After the US Coast Guard requested a search of the missing vessel last Friday, Coast Guard Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo immediately ordered a search-and-rescue operation.

Simultaneously, Tamayo also issued a notice to all vessels and fishing boats sailing within the Visayas and Eastern Visayas seas to help in locating the whereabouts of the missing vessel.

As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Guam is approximately 2,290 kilometers east of Cebu where sea condition is expected to be moderate to heavy, but conditions were reported to be rough especially after bad weather these previous weeks. 

The San Juan which was dispatched under direct command of Coast Guard Eastern Visayas Commodore Cecil Chen over the weekend to search the southern portion of Eastern Visayas where the missing vessel was expected to traverse. 

Coastal cities and municipalities along the Eastern Visayas were also alerted by Chen in order to assist in spotting The Pineapple.

One of her crew is reported to be a Filipino-American serving in the US Air Force. (FREEMAN)