THE family of a Negrense seafarer who went missing after the ship he was working in sank off the coast of Japan earlier this week is not giving up hope that he is still alive.
Margarita Payas of Barangay Bata, Bacolod City, mother of missing 32-year-old Andren Payas, said she had talked with Andren's wife Justine Marie, who told her that she last made contact with him on the evening of September 1.
Andren Payas is one of the 39 Filipino seafarers of Gulf Livestock 1, which sank off the coast of Amami Oshima Island in the Ryukyu Islands chain in Japan after being caught up in a typhoon with the international name of "Maysak" on September 3.
According to Justine, her husband told her that the seas were already starting to get rough, describing the waves that are as high as a building.
Andren even told his wife that they had to tie down some of their equipment inside their rooms as the rough seas kept shifting their belongings.
Justine's husband even expressed his fear, stating that he has no plans to further extend his contract and would quit his job as a sailor.
By September 2, Andren and even his close crewmates can no longer be contacted, and Justine soon discovered the news on the internet that the ship had sunk.
Margarita had not been sleeping for the past few nights already, anxious for news that Andren had survived.
Andren's mother said she had last contacted her son during her birthday last month, and her son even forwarded money to the family so they could have a small birthday celebration.
Margarita also revealed that she had stage 3 colon cancer and she is asking for help for anyone who could provide them information about her son's whereabouts.
Gulf Livestock 1, a livestock carrier, was carrying almost 6,000 cattle and was headed for China at the time of the incident. The ship is crewed by 39 Filipino sailors, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia.
As of September 4, only one Filipino sailor identified as Eduardo Sareno was rescued by the Japan Coast Guard.
According to Sareno, the ship was hit by a huge wave, which caused it to capsize.