A VESSEL owned by the locally based Mega Fishing Corporation safely rescued 15 individuals from a half-submerged motorboat off Basilan province, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The Coast Guard District Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CGDBarmm) said the 15 individuals were rescued at 5:05 p.m. Friday, February 27, approximately four nautical miles east of Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan.
The rescued individuals include seven crew members and the remaining eight are passengers of the ill-fated motorboat, Sherylle.
The 15 individuals were rescued by F/V Marcus 308 of the Mega Fishing Corporation that happened to pass by the area when the motorboat sank.
The Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS)-Hadji Muhtamad deployed its search and rescue team following reports of the incident.
"Upon arrival at the scene, the team conducted ship-to-shore transfer operations for all 15 individuals who had earlier been rescued by the passing fishing vessel F/V Marcus 308 of Mega Fishing Corporation," the CGDBarmm said in a statement.
It added that all the rescued individuals were safely transported and underwent medical assessment by the Barangay Rural Health Unit Baluk-Baluk by 7:05 p.m. Friday.
The CGDBarmm said investigation showed that Sherylle was transporting water when one of its tanks collapsed, causing the vessel to become imbalanced and take in water, resulting in the motorboat to slowly submerge.
The CGDBarmm advised sea travelers to adhere to safety protocols to prevent similar incident. (SunStar Zamboanga)