Saturday, November 08, 2008 Vessel crew rescue fishers
THREE men were rescued by a passing cargo vessel after their fishing boat capsized off Camotes Island at the height of storm Quinta last Thursday.
The crew of Motor Tanker Sumilon spotted the three survivors—Arnold, Arnel and Aldin, all surnamed Argallon-–in the seawaters of Camotes Island at 1:10 p.m.
The Batangas-bound ship then radioed the Coast Guard (CG) about the rescue.
It was not clear, however, whether the three fishermen were brought directly to the Batangas port aboard the vessel.
Meanwhile, Jose Alivio, a fisherman of Catmon, Cebu, swam to shore after his fishing boat capsized due to storm Quinta.
He reportedly reached the shore of the neighboring town of Sogod.
The fisherman encountered bad weather while fishing off Catmon’s coastal waters.
Also last Thursday, m/v Ma. Lourdes, a cargo ship, ran aground off Sta. Fe port in Daanbantayan Island past 11 a.m.
The vessel was supposed to take shelter at Hilantagaan Islet when it drifted towards the starboard side of the pier and reportedly ran aground 25 meters away from it.
The CG reported that the ship had already recovered and was able to return to the Sta. Fe port.
The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council 7 reported a “minimal damage” brought about by storm Quinta.
The official report submitted to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) showed 15 areas affected with three structures damaged.
One house was partly damaged in Poro while two houses were completely damaged in Bantayan.
Banana trees were uprooted in Tudela and Bantayan.
Power interruptions were also felt in Poro, Tudela, San Francisco, Madridejos, Bantayan, Sta. Fe, Catmon, Medellin, San Remigio, Carmen, Tabuelan, Tabogon and Sogod while they failed to contact Borbon town.
“The power interruptions/outages, damage to houses and several banana trees fallen were due to strong winds brought about by tropical depression Quinta. The situation
is Central Visayas has been back to normal with no casualty or injury reported/monitored,” the official report submitted by RDCC 7 Director Minda Morante stated.
Morante said they were prepared as soon as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared a storm signal number 1 in Cebu.
After receiving the advisory from the NDCC, Morante said they immediately alerted the provincial, city and municipal disaster coordinating councils.
In Cebu, special attention was called on Balamban and Sapangdaku rivers in case these overflowed. But no incidents were recorded in these areas. (GC/MEA)
