Four fishermen died, one went missing, and 45 others were rescued when the fishing boat they were riding on suddenly turned turtle in Bagac, Bataan last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed Monday, June 27.
An incident report reaching the PCG headquarters said fishing boat “Gra Twin Sister” with 50 fishermen onboard encountered big waves which caused it to capsize at approximately 18 nautical miles from the shoreline of Barangay Saysain last June 23.
The fishermen came from Nasugbu, Batangas and sailed on June 22.
"Based on the testimonies of the survivors, their boat was hit by the waves. That was the reason why it capsized," PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told reporters.
"Sometimes you really cannot predict the weather. According to them, the weather started out fine when they left but then the big waves came afterwards," he added.
The PCG said search and rescue (SAR) operations were ongoing to find the remaining missing fisherman whose identity was not disclosed.
The PCG deployed BRP Malabrigo (MRRV-4402) and Coast Guard helicopter CGH-154 for maritime and aerial search.
“The SAR team advised all fisherfolks to immediately report to the nearest PCG unit if they saw the missing crew member,” the PCG said.