PCG recovers 6 remains from missing Davao motorboat; 9 still missing
ONE more body was recovered from a missing vessel Sunday. (PCG)
DAVAO CITY – One more floating body was recovered during search and rescue (SAR) operations for the missing motor boat MBCA Amejara, the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) reported Sunday evening.
This brings the total to six bodies received so far in the search for the boat carrying 15 passengers, which was reported missing on Jan. 19.
The latest body was retrieved by a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boat in the waters off Buca Point, Maasim, Sarangani and transferred to BRP Panglao for transport to Balut Island for evaluation.
As of Monday, nine passengers from the MBCA Amejara remain missing, with one survivor rescued earlier.
In an online presser, CGDSEM commander Commodore Philipps Soria said that after seven days of search-and-rescue (SAR) operations for the missing recreational boat, they will not yet shift into retrieval operations.
He said the inter-agency SAR efforts are ongoing, emphasizing the collective commitment to thorough search coverage, proper recovery procedures, and coordination with authorities.
“We will not be shifting (to retrieval) or counting days until our operations shift. Until practicable, we will continue SAR operations,” Soria added.
He noted that search teams will move between Sector 4 and the adjacent Sector 3, as updated drift analysis indicates that remains could circulate closer to Sarangani Bay and the northern Celebes Sea.
The five bodies recovered on Jan. 24 were seen at Sector 4, the outermost search zone in Southern Mindanao waters.
It covers deep offshore waters in the southern Celebes Sea, southwest of Sarangani and Davao Occidental.
The Philippine Coast Guard assured the public that timely and accurate updates will be disseminated as verified information becomes available.
CGDSEM remains in close coordination with partner agencies in the SAR operations, including the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, the Eastern Mindanao Command, the Philippine Air Force- Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao, and the Office of Civil Defense in Davao Region, among others. (PNA)