4 men survive banca mishap

Monday, February 13, 2012

CEBU CITY – A motorbanca carrying four crew members and a batch of newspapers capsized between Toledo City, Cebu and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Sunday, after big waves cracked its bow.

The accident happened at 2 a.m., less than 24 hours after rough waves broke the outriggers of another motorbanca crossing Tañon Strait from Cebu to Negros Oriental.

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Cebu Coast Guard Commander Rolando Punzalan said the crew of the mb Mary Sunshine should have sought clearance before leaving for Negros.

“They should be prudent. They should always consider turning back if the weather is bad, even if they receive no advisory from us,” said Punzalan.

CROSSING. Passengers wait in Ronda town’s port for boats to bring them to Negros Oriental. A motorbanca that left that port Saturday noon almost did not make it across, after rough waves broke its outriggers. (Alex Badayos)

Made it

All four members of the crew survived. Wearing life jackets, they abandoned the vessel and swam to shore in Bato, Toledo City after the bow cracked.

The Mary Sunshine was carrying local newspapers to be delivered to Negros Occidental when it left Toledo at 1:30 a.m.

The four men aboard were identified as Mario Montemayor, 45, Edgardo Casilac, 46, Lendon Carcusia, 28, and Marlon Manigos, 24.

According to the incident report by the Coast Guard Cebu, the waves were huge at the time of the banca’s trip and caused it to capsize.

But Carmelita Cristituta, who owns the Mary Sunshine, said the weather and sea conditions were fair.

Last Friday, a motorized banca crammed with passengers and relief goods got stalled in Tañon Strait after violent waves broke one of its outriggers.

About 80 passengers were rescued, including volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross who were on their way to help earthquake victims in La Libertad, Negros Oriental.

Relief
Two military helicopters and a naval boat were sent out to rescue the MV Agape, said Lieutenant Commander Agapito Bibat of the Philippine Coast Guard station in Dumaguete City.

The Agape had carried, among others, 100 sacks of rice, water and other relief items for the victims of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the seas near Tayasan, Negros Oriental last Monday morning.

One of the rescued passengers said it helped that everyone on board tried to help each other during their ordeal.

“Stay calm. Pray,” said James Kee, 40.

“If everyone had let their anxiety take over, I would not be talking to you now,” Kee, a radio station finance and administrative officer, said.

He told Sun.Star Cebu that their trouble started when the banca’s outriggers were damaged after getting battered by strong waves.

They were bound for Cantupa wharf in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, carrying boxes of relief goods for their relatives.

Volunteers

He recalled that some passengers, particularly women, started crying, but 10 volunteers from the Philippine National Red Cross immediately tried to help them.

The volunteers were identified as April Joy Eramis, Paul Benermerito, Justine Benermerito, Anton Kenneth Abarques, Karel Kilat, Abito Urod, Job Mascatdo, Arron Benoya, Bern Christina Amores and Jun Mabanag.

It helped a lot when people on the boat also noticed they could still receive cell phone signals.

The vessel operator commanded his crew to tie the outriggers with rope, while passengers were asked to go to the right side of the boat to help it stay afloat.

“The water would reach our boat because of the violent waves,” Kee said.

Some of the passengers demanded to return to the wharf in Ronda, Cebu, but the operator refused, saying that would be more dangerous. By then, they were already in Negros Oriental’s waters.

Kee said he asked a co-worker to call numerous Coast Guard units to plead for help. They stayed adrift for almost an hour.

Tough call

Determined to survive, they decided to throw some of the heavier relief items out to the sea—despite some of the passengers’ protests. Some of the goods they carried were from Vice President Jejomar Binay.

After an hour, two military helicopters arrived, Kee said.

Two pump boats also came to their rescue. The Agape finally reached its port at 4:10 p.m.

Before the incident, Kee recalled that fewer than 20 people were supposed to be on board.

But because there were no available trips in nearby Tangil Wharf in Dumanjug, some passengers rushed to Ronda. Some even swam just to hop aboard.

Several passengers remained stranded Sunday after trips were cancelled.

Weather bureau officials announced that rains are expected in Cebu after a low pressure area was seen about 230 kilometers east southwest of Hinatuan City in Mindanao. (JBT/DSM of Sun.Star Cebu)