The crew members of a Norwegian ship rescued a Filipino fisherman left floating at sea for nearly 12 hours after his boat suffered from engine failure while fishing off the coast of Calavite Point in Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Michael Conquesto, 35, a resident of Subic, Zambales, was fishing with his mother boat, FB Anton Char, when the engine of his smaller vessel suddenly died around 4 a.m. of Feb. 17.
Fortunately, MV Sunny Victory, a Norwegian-flagged cargo vessel, spotted the distressed fisherman and came to his aid.
The second mate of the Norwegian ship informed the PCG command center about the situation through a satellite phone call around 3:30 p.m. of the same day after Conquesto was rescued.
The PCG said it was a lucky encounter as MV Sunny Victory was navigating west of Calavite Point while on its way to Sandakan, Malaysia when her crew spotted Conquesto.
The Coast Guard District Palawan deployed a vessel to facilitate the transfer of Conquesto from the cargo vessel.
Conquesto was turned over to his mother boat after the PCG ensured that he was in good condition.
“This incident highlights the importance of maritime cooperation and the shared commitment to preserving lives at sea,” the PCG said.