The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed search and rescue (SAR) teams with air and floating assets on Monday, Feb. 27, to find a missing Taiwanese fishing vessel last seen in the vicinity waters of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean.

Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessel Sheng Feng No 128 was last monitored at 414 nautical miles northwest of Palau archipelago in the Micronesia region on Feb. 17 while carrying a Taiwanese and five Indonesian fishermen, the PCG said.

Commander Arthur Yang, Taiwan Coast Guard Attache, requested for assistance from the PCG to hasten the search and rescue. In response, the Coast Guard Command Center directed the CG Districts in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, Southeastern Mindanao, Northeastern Mindanao, and Northeastern Luzon to launch SAR operations.

The PCG said it dispatched Coast Guard Aviation Force Cessna Caravan 2081 to conduct aerial surveillance within the vicinity waters of Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions “due to the possibility that the missing Taiwanese fishing vessel drifted towards the country’s eastern seaboard.”

They joined two United States Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft, a commercial vessel, eight Taiwanese fishing vessels, and two Taiwan Coast Guard (TCG) cutters in searching for the missing fishing boat.

At present, SAR operations from the said countries have yielded negative results, the PCG said.