The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Zambales responded to a maritime incident involving Barge IMC 12 (with six crew members onboard) that ran aground in the vicinity waters off Barangay Bangan, Botolan, Zambales on 30 October 2022.

MTUG IMC 26 tried to tow the ill-fated barge, but it drifted and eventually ran aground due to strong currents and battering waves.

PCG personnel rescued three crew members: Joseph Anthony Edquilag, Patrick Rommel Cuevas, and John Thomas Quilario, around the morning of 31 October 2022.

Subsequently, the PCG search and rescue (SAR) rescued two other crew members, Peter Claro and Christian Caguyong, at around noon on 31 October 2022.

The five rescued individuals were brought to the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in Iba, Zambales, for medical attention.

At around 08:00 a.m. of 01 November 2022, the PCG Sub-Station Botolan received a report from the Zambales Police Provincial Office that an unidentified cadaver was found along the shoreline of Sitio Tambuangan, Barangay San Agustin in Iba, Zambales.

The PCG team and Arland Baculando’s family members proceeded to the area and positively identified the cadaver.

Further investigation revealed that Baculando, the sixth crew member of Barge IMC 12, was inspecting their anchor when a sudden and strong surge of waves hit the vessel, causing him to go overboard.

Baculando’s body was retrieved and brought to a funeral service for proper disposition.