PCG: The Philippine Coast Guard urges owners of boats to register their watercrafts to proper authority and to install lights with ranges prescribed for night time voyages as a motorized boat accidentally collided with an unregistered motorboat at waters off Concabato Bay in Tacloban City due to restricted visibility in the area last Saturday, October 06.

The Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Tacloban received a report regarding the collision incident between Motorboat Voyager III and another boat which was found unregistered by the Coast Guard.

Investigation revealed that around 07:15PM, Voyager III was enroute to Tacloban City from Basey, Samar. On the other hand, another motorboat with two passengers onboard identified as Laurence Amarilla, 29 years old and a minor both from Barangay Rawis, Anibong also in Tacloban was proceeding to their hometown from Sea Wall, Tacloban City.

According to the skipper of the motorboat, Mr. Arabejo, he did not notice that another small craft was approaching due to restricted visibility in the area and lack of night navigation that resulted to the collision of two boats.

Due to the incident, the unregistered motorboat incurred a hole on its portside which caused the sea water to seep inside the boat and went half-submerge.

The crew of Voyager III immediately rendered assistance to the distress boat and subsequently towed it to the shoreline of Tacloban. There were no reported injuries on the said incident.

Both parties were summoned at the CGSS Tacloban Office and agreed to make settlement on the damages and immediate registration of the boat.

Moreover, the PCG advised the crew of Motorboat Voyager III to exercise vigilance and caution during night navigation in the area due to presence of small watercrafts.