Distressed vessel reaches port safely

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — More than 400 passengers and crew of an inter-island vessel that encountered engine trouble shortly after midnight Monday at the Tañon Strait between Cebu and Negros Oriental returned to the port of Dumaguete hours later, all safe and sound.

The distressed ship, the M/V Georich of the George and Peter Lines, had departed the Dumaguete port around 11 p.m. Monday and was en route to Cebu when, around 1:27 a.m., one of its engines malfunctioned, causing it to stay adrift some 3.2 nautical miles in the vicinity of Alcoy, Cebu, according to an investigation report of the Coast Station in Dumaguete.

PO2 Aldwin Chan of the Dumaguete Coast Guard station quoted the captain of M/V Georich, Crisologo S. Carollo, as saying that per report of the ship's Chief Engr. Armando C. Baes, the turbo of auxiliary engine No. 2 had malfunctioned.

A distress call was made to Coast Guard in Dumaguete, who advised the M/V Georich captain to coordinate for the towing of the ship by its sister inter-island vessel, the M/V Zamboanga Ferry, which was en route to Dumaguete from Cebu, said Chan.

The M/V Zamboanga Ferry reached the M/V Georich around 3:20 a.m. and towed it all the way to the Dumaguete port, with both ships docking at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The rescue was supervised by a Coast Guard personnel that was also on board the distressed ship, according to Chan.

The troubled inter-island vessel carried 347 passengers and about 45 crew and apprentices, Chan added.

Upon arrival at the Dumaguete port early Tuesday, the shipping lines offered breakfast to the passengers and facilitated the free transfer of some who still wanted to proceed to Cebu via a commercial bus and ferry ride.

Other passengers were refunded in full, the Coast Guard said.

Passengers expressed gratitude for the quick response of the Coast Guard and the rescue of the M/V Georich with no untoward incident reported during the incident.

The M/V Georich remains docked at the Dumaguete port as its captain has been advised to file a marine protest with the Maritime Industry Authority, Chan added. — (FREEMAN)