PH Navy assists distressed South Korean passenger boat; 9 Pinoy crew rescued

A South Korean passenger boat that malfunctioned while navigating the waters of Burgos, Ilocos Norte was assisted by the Philippine Navy (PN), a ranking official disclosed Friday, Feb. 7.
Nine Filipino crew of passenger boat “UDOSARANG 1” were rescued when BRP Nestor Reinoso (PC380) responded to the emergency alert issued by the South Korean vessel, according to Ensign Cyrus Anthony Ramos, public affairs officer of Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL).
According to an investigation, UDOSARANG 1 was cruising Burgos around 9 a.m. on Feb. 5 when it suffered from a mechanical malfunction, restricting the vessel’s ability to maneuver.
It immediately issued an emergency alert which was monitored by the Maritime Situation Awareness Center – North (MSAC-N) and Naval Monitoring Detachment (NMD)-Pasuquin.
The NFNL deployed BRP Nestor Reinoso and the Navy ship established contact with and escorted the UDOSARANG 1 to Sual, Pangasinan where it was fixed.
“The nine Filipino crew members of the said vessel were safe and encountered no other problems,” Ramos said.