Maritime disasters in 2015

CEBU, Philippines – Maritime disasters marked the year 2015 leaving at least 38 people dead and three children missing until now.

On January 22, 26 fishermen from Cebu and 52 in Bohol were rescued from forced labor in the illegal fishing operation called Muro-Ami. They were rescued by authorities in the town of Balabac in southwestern Palawan. Majority of the fishermen from Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III convened the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking after he was informed by the Palawan provincial government about the rescued fishermen.

Boat owner Ramil Noval and recruiter Yulo “Boy”’ Plecerda were charged for violating Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

On May 13, M/V Starcraft 9 bound for Bohol collided with M/V Our Lady of Faith owned by Medallion Shipping Lines near the lighthouse at Lauis Ledge off Talisay City.

Starcraft 9 was carrying 262 passengers and 15 crew members. Except for chief engineer Romeo Astillejo, who fell overboard during the collision, none of the passengers were hurt. Astillejo was rushed to the hospital but died few days later.

On July 2, 2015, 36 people died and 19 were missing when Kim Nirvana-B, a two-deck motorized banca, capsized off Ormoc City in Leyte 20 minutes after it sailed for Pilar, Camotes Island. A total of 118 passengers survived from the tragedy.

On July 5, three Korean professional divers went missing in the seawaters off Lapu-Lapu City.

Korean technical divers Baek Seung Kyoon, 34; Heo Seung Yung, 45; and Kim Eun, 31, went missing after they left the New Grand Bleu Dive Resort in Lapu-Lapu City despite the bad weather.

Search and rescue operations for the three divers went on for three days before Kyoon and Eun were found alive in Camotes Island, 40 kilometers away from Punta Engaño. However, Yung did not make it.

On August 15, MV Wonderful Stars, a passenger roll-on/roll-off vessel owned by Roble Shipping, caught fire around 4:20 a.m. minutes after it docked at the Ormoc City Port from Cebu City.

No passengers were hurt but two crewmen sustained minor burns.  The ship was carrying 544 passengers, 30 of them minors, and 39 officers and crew. The fire was put out almost nine hours after it started.

Joy Emery Roble, president and chief executive officer of Roble Shipping, said that out of 23 rolling cargoes onboard only six cars were saved.

On October 17, Rudyard Payusan, 48, chiefmate of LCT Golden Crescent, lost his right leg while trying to save 27 passengers of a motorbanca that sank while on its way to Cebu from Bohol.

Payusan jumped into the water to save the passengers but his foot got entangled with a cable wire. The passengers were all rescued by a passing M/V Filipinas Dinagat of Cokaliong Shipping Lines.

On October 19, three children, aged 9, 15 and 16, were reported missing after they went fishing in a paddle boat in Olango Island amid the bad weather. The children remained missing until now. —/FPL (FREEMAN)