Saturday, April 09, 2005
4 RP fishermen missing at sea for 15 days spotted by US rescuers (9:25 p.m.)
MANILA -- A US rescue aircraft on Friday spotted the boat carrying four Filipino fishermen who have been missing at sea for 15 days, and a Philippine navy ship is en route to pick them up, officials said.
The P-3 Orion plane that was dispatched to South China Sea waters near Scarborough Shoal, off the Palawan island, found the fishermen on board their boat 148 nautical miles (259 kilometers) southwest of Palawan, said Navy spokesman Captain Geronimo Malabanan.
A navy rescue ship is expected to reach the site at about 3 a.m. Sunday, he added.
The fishermen left the southwestern port of Subic in Zambales province on March 22 and failed to return as scheduled on March 26, when they were reported missing.
Navy planes and boats dispatched to the area have failed to spot the missing fishermen, prompting the government to request for help from the US Pacific Command based in Hawaii.
Malabanan said the skipper of the boat, M/V Emily II, established radio contact with naval authorities on Tuesday but could not pinpoint their exact location since they have not seen any landmark for the past five days.
The skipper said his boat was headed towards Scarborough Shoal when their boat's engine ran out of fuel. (AP)
(April 9, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
|
