Sunday, November 04, 2007
Lack of equipment limits search for 2 passengers
A COAST Guard official yesterday reminded operators of pumpboats to take extra precautions during bad weather or peak travel seasons, on the heels of two sea mishaps since Wednesday.
Even if it is sometimes risky, people travel by boat because they have no alternative in most places, said Commodore Edmund Tan, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard Visayas Command (PCG-Viscom).
The mb Anton II capsized off Pilar, Camotes Island, Cebu last Oct. 31 and an Aznar fastcraft ran aground off San Carlos City last Nov. 1 amid strong winds and rough waves.
Three persons were killed, including a 10-month-old boy, in the Camotes accident. Two passengers remained missing despite the search and rescue operations by the PCG.
“Despite the lack of equipment, we are trying to do our best in our tasks,” Tan said.
The PCG enforces rules on the prevention of collisions at sea, investigates marine casualties, implements laws on the responsibilities of ship owners and officers after a maritime accident, and conducts search and rescue operations.
But Tan said that even if they inspect every boat for seaworthiness, they have no more control over the vessels once these are at sea.
“We can remind them to follow rules and regulations and to always take precautions, but accidents happen due to natural phenomena and some other factors like human error and equipment failure,” Tan said.
“We cannot foresee these things. We, in the Coast Guard, will just have to contend with these factors and so must always be ready to render assistance to distressed vessels at sea,” he also said.
Boat owners must be careful in allowing their vessels and motorized bancas to travel especially during bad weather, he added.
In the Fastcraft Aznar incident, the boat captain reportedly miscalculated how shallow an area was, when big waves spawned by strong winds battered the vessel.
Last Oct. 31, mb Anton capsized as it was about to dock in Pilar town in Camotes.
The passengers were to spend All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days in their hometown. All the 16 crewmembers survived.
Marine safety specialist Mardon Martin of the Maritime Industry Authority 7 said that after a marine protest is filed by the boat owner, they will conduct a hearing on the accident. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (November 4, 2007 issue)
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