W/ Typhoon Caloy coming 21 rescued from damaged pumpboat
ILOILO CITY, Philippines — As typhoon Caloy threatened Western Visayas, a total of 21 persons, 14 of them foreigners, were rescued from a damaged pumpboat early morning Friday, off Sojoton Point in Cauayan town of Negros Occidental.
The rescued foreigners were French, Swiss, Spanish, German and Mexican nationals, reportedly scuba divers, who were sailing from San Jose, Antique to Oslob, Cebu.
The Philippine Coast Guard-Region 6 said it received a distress call around 5 p.m. Friday, claiming that the motor banca Ona, a vessel used for diving adventures, sustained damaged starboard outriggers.
The vessel, owned by International L’Amphora Phil. Corporation based in Pototan, Iloilo, was skippered by Rolando Galgo.
Commodore Athelo Ybañez, PCG-6 chief, said rescue vessel MCS 3006, after the rescue, returned to Iloilo City around 6:40 a.m. with only 11 of the rescued foreigners.
The three other passengers who organized the diving expedition and seven crewmen however opted to remain onboard Ona, which was at the time already anchored at Sta. Ana Bay in Nueva Valencia town of Guimaras.
The provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique and Negros Occidental were placed under public storm signal number 1 due to typhoon Caloy.
PCG-6 noted that rough seas and strong wind might have contributed to the incident. (FREEMAN)
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