By Mike Crismundo
BUTUAN CITY - At least 37 passengers and 6 crews were rescued by personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), relatives, and police rescue team off Diasan, seawaters of Surigao Strait in nearby Dinagat Islands Friday morning, a report reaching the police regional headquarters late Friday afternoon said.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Although exhausted, no one was hurt among the passengers of M/B Danrev and all of them were rescued, said PO3rd Dominic Degamo of Philippine Coast Guard-Surigao City.
A flash report reaching the monitoring, command and action center of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 based at Camp Colonel Rafael C. Rodriguez here said all the passengers were fetched by their families and relatives.
M/B Danrev Express loaded with 37 passengers left Roxas Island of Basilisa town in Danagat Islands province past 5 a.m. Friday, bound for mainland Surigao City.
However, at 6:40 a.m. on the same day, the motor boat encountered big waves off Diasan that caused it to sink.
“The motor boat encountered big waves and hit debris of wood that opened a hole at the right portion that caused it to slowly sink,” a sketchy report reaching the regional headquarters of PRO 13 said.
Passing pump boats immediately responded and conducted rescue operations to the passengers, field report said.
The PCG Basilisa Sub-Station also immediately responded upon receiving the report and also conducted rescue operations to the passengers, it said.
Relatives and members of families who heard of the incident also arrived in Diasan area on board pump boats and conducted rescue to the immediate members of their families who were also on board the sinking passenger motor boat.
“All of the passengers and the crews of the motor boat were rescued before noon,” declared PO3rd Digamo, in an interview with the local radio station here on Friday.
The sinking of the passenger motor boat was believed due to big waves brought about by Tropical Depression “Domeng”.