Waves wreck small cargo boat off Basilan

COTABATO CITY— Strong, sudden winds spawned big waves that wrecked a wooden boat loaded with grocery supplies as it approached Isabela City in Basilan from the Zamboanga Peninsula on Saturday, June 7.

Officials from the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade told reporters on Sunday, June 8, that all crew members of the ill-fated boat were promptly rescued by personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard unit in Basilan and emergency responders from the Isabela City local government.

Local officials said the small motorized boat from Zamboanga City was rocked violently by big waves before being virtually shattered near the beachfront of Barangay Baluno in Isabela City, one of two cities in Basilan, which also has 11 towns.

Citing initial reports from intelligence operatives in Isabela City, Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, said all individuals aboard the damaged boat have been accounted for.