MANILA, Philippines - Seven people including three foreign divers have been stranded since Thursday morning after their motorized-boat encountered engine trouble off Antique near Boracay Island, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, PCG information officer Lt. Sr. Grade Gary Dale Gimotea said, rescue teams dispatched to rescue the group have yet to communicate information on whether the rescue had been successful.
Commodore William Melad said the group includes four Filipino tour guides and three Spanish divers.
Melad, district commander of PCG Iloilo, said authorities received the report on the incident around 6:30 a.m. Melad said the passengers used their cellular phones to ask the PCG for assistance.
The victims' boat, MB Maruja, encountered engine trouble and drifted southeast of Sibay Island in Caluyan, Antique. Melad said the group had just come from diving sites in Caluyan and was on the way back to Boracay when the incident occurred.
After receiving the report, Gimotea said the PCG dispatched search-and-rescue vessels to give assistance. He noted, however, that the group had since drifted from their reported position, which made it difficult for rescuers to find them.
«õung mga tao natin sa may area ay nagpadala ng motor banca at speed boat for the rescue operation. But as of 2 p.m. lumayo sila dun sa sighted area dahil sa alon. Pero walang patay (We deployed motorized banca and a speed boat for the rescue operations. But as of 2 p.m. they had a difficult time reaching the area because of strong waves. But no fatalities were reported)," Gimotea said.
ªét was estimated that ang MB Maruja drifted 6.5 nautical miles southeast of Caluya Island or about 25 Nautical miles from Boracay," he added. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
Hope they are ok!
Anyone has any update on this?
In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, PCG information officer Lt. Sr. Grade Gary Dale Gimotea said, rescue teams dispatched to rescue the group have yet to communicate information on whether the rescue had been successful.
Commodore William Melad said the group includes four Filipino tour guides and three Spanish divers.
Melad, district commander of PCG Iloilo, said authorities received the report on the incident around 6:30 a.m. Melad said the passengers used their cellular phones to ask the PCG for assistance.
The victims' boat, MB Maruja, encountered engine trouble and drifted southeast of Sibay Island in Caluyan, Antique. Melad said the group had just come from diving sites in Caluyan and was on the way back to Boracay when the incident occurred.
After receiving the report, Gimotea said the PCG dispatched search-and-rescue vessels to give assistance. He noted, however, that the group had since drifted from their reported position, which made it difficult for rescuers to find them.
«õung mga tao natin sa may area ay nagpadala ng motor banca at speed boat for the rescue operation. But as of 2 p.m. lumayo sila dun sa sighted area dahil sa alon. Pero walang patay (We deployed motorized banca and a speed boat for the rescue operations. But as of 2 p.m. they had a difficult time reaching the area because of strong waves. But no fatalities were reported)," Gimotea said.
ªét was estimated that ang MB Maruja drifted 6.5 nautical miles southeast of Caluya Island or about 25 Nautical miles from Boracay," he added. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
Hope they are ok!
Anyone has any update on this?
