BUTUAN CITY , Philippines – Workers of a mining company rescued 11 passengers of a pump boat that capsized off Carrascal town in Surigao del Sur last Friday night, police said.
The passengers, including an 11-year-old girl, had come from Dapa, Surigao del Norte and were headed to Madrid town in Surigao del Sur to attend a Christian fellowship when huge waves and strong winds battered their boat, causing it to capsize, police said.
Two of the passengers, a certain Garry Espenile Coniado, 27, and Junwel Nogueraza Borga, 22, swam for hours until they reached a mining firm’s cargo ship and sought help for their fellow passengers.
A joint search and rescue team was promptly deployed by the Carrascal and Surigao del Sur police offices, Globe Mining Corp. and Carrascal Nickel Corp., and the nine other passengers were eventually rescued after floating in the water for hours.