A 63-year-old Taiwanese national drowned in the seawaters off Barangay Okoy, Santa Fe in Bantayan Island after the boat she was riding with other tourists was hit by the straight-line winds, locally known as “unos,” last Wednesday afternoon.
Police identified the casualty as Chen Su Shaing who fell into the sea after the motor boat she was aboard with her 12 fellow countrymen was capsized by big waves propelled by strong wind and rain.
Insp. Mikael Mallorca, Santa Fe police chief, said that boat operator Jupiter Flores will be investigate to determine if he has liability over Shaing’s death.
The foreigners left Bantayan yesterday afternoon, bringing Shaing’s remains with them.
Last Monday, the tourists arrived in a beach resort in Okoy for an island-hopping tour.
Flores agreed to take them to the privately-owned Virgin Island in Barangay Hilantagaan, a 20-minute boat ride, two days later. They left Okoy past 11 a.m.
“The weather was fine when they left Virgin Island past 5 p.m.,” Mallorca said.
Flores said that he persuaded the adult Taiwanese tourists, who brought their six children with them, to wear life jackets, but they begged off.
A few minutes after leaving the Virgin Island’s shore, the bad weather made the waves rampaging against the small boat, tipping it over.
Flores swam when he noticed someone was missing. He found Shaing beneath the boat, unconscious. He pulled her above the water’s surface.
They waved their hands and shouted for help, but no single boat was seen in the distance until the waves brought them back near the Virgin Island.
The island’s workers rescued them. Shaing was ferried to Barangay Sillon, Bantayan, then she was rushed to the hospital on board a car. The doctor declared her dead.
Flores claimed that a waterspout, locally known as “buhawi,” hit his boat, but the police would not believe him. (KAL)