Black smoke forces fast craft to return

CEBU, Philippines - A fast craft that was heading to Bohol from Cebu yesterday morning returned course after one of its crew saw the vessel emitting black smoke.

The M/V Supercat 26 left Cebu at 8:35 am was about 20 minutes out at sea when black smoke started coming off it, prompting its Captain, Ric Suan, to bring it back to the Cebu port.

No one was hurt in the incident. The 121 passengers and 13 crew members were made to take the MV Weesam 6 to Bohol.

Passengers said no one panicked when they were told that the vessel had to return course because of some problems.

Coast Guard Cebu Station Commander Rolando Punzalan said most of the passengers did not complain about the incident, adding that the company immediately coordinating with the passengers and the PCG.

Yesterday, Suan submitted his marine protest to give way to the PCG and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) 7. The vessel was grounded pending investigators but the order was lifted at 6:40 pm.

Investigators discovered that the vessel’s water cooling system had malfunctioned because it was clogged with sea garbage, thus, the black smoke.

Just last August, three people died and 72 others were rescued when M/V Island Fast Craft 1 of Island Shipping Corporation caught fire on the Lauis Ledge off the coast of Talisay City en route to Cebu City from Bohol. The vessel was plying the Tubigon-Cebu route.

The bodies of the three fatalities and the rest of the passengers and crew were pulled off the water by the crew of M/V Sea Jet fast craft of Aleson Shipping Lines, which was en route to Tubigon from Cebu.

The two female fatalities were identified as Citas Cabrera and Mathea Infiesto. The third fatality was identified as the vessel’s chief mate, Abelardo Tordillas, 57, of Tagbilaran, Bohol.

The survivors were brought to the Tubigon Community Hospital. A total of 60 adults, four children, and an infant along with seven members of the crew were rescued. (FREEMAN)