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Manila Bulletin devider devider 2 Filipino surfers missing in Thailand

2 Filipino surfers missing in Thailand

Published Jul 19, 2019 06:56 pm
By Ali Macabalang  COTABATO CITY – Two Filipino tourists have been reported missing since Wednesday while surfing in Phuket, Thailand, officials said Thursday. 13 Filipino tourists posted in Facebook upon arrival at Thailand’s Phuket International Airport on July 14 by Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez of this city, who went missing with Noah Ibay of Parang, Maguindanao while surfing on high waves in a beach last Wednesday. In the photo, Cortez stands in extreme left while Ibay is third from left. (ALI MACABALANG / MANILA BULLETIN) Photo of 13 Filipino tourists posted in Facebook upon arrival at Thailand’s Phuket International Airport on July 14 by Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez of this city, who went missing with Noah Ibay of Parang, Maguindanao while surfing on high waves in a beach last Wednesday. In the photo, Cortez stands in extreme left while Ibay is third from left.
(ALI MACABALANG / MANILA BULLETIN) Missing are Noah Ibay, 40, of the Iranun District of Maguindanao, and Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez, 29, of this city. They were last seen surfing amid high waves at Freedom Beach in Phuket. Cortez and Ibay were among 13 surfing tourists from the Philippines who went to Thailand last July 14. Cortez posted in his Facebook page their team photo upon arrival at the Phuket International Airport before noon that same day. Mayor Cahar Ibay of Parang, Maguindanao, Noah’s uncle, sent a letter to Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng on Thursday, asking assistance for the rescue of the duo. Ibay said his office was informed that rescue operations were still ongoing but it was temporarily suspended due to bad weather conditions. Anxious relatives have sought prayers for the safety of Ibay and Cortez. Thailand’s Phuket News network said rescue workers and police elements launched a search Wednesday afternoon, “scouring the coast at Patong Beach to the North and Karon Beach to the south” of Freedom Beach in Phuket where the two were last seen surfing amid high waves. Two other members of the 13-man team – John Jerard Tanghal, 30, and Tanghal Paciano Jose, 51, both of this city – were rescued before the search was suspended due to bad weather alert by Phuket authorities, the news entity said. “But we will resume it (search) as soon as we can,” The Phuket News quoted Somprasong Sangchart, Patong Surf Life Saving Operation Chief, as saying.
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