PCG: Two victims were rescued while another remains missing as a foreign cargo vessel accidentally rammed a fishing boat which immediately sank at the vicinity waters of Alcoy, Cebu last Saturday, March 8.

The incident was reported by 2/O Manualito Magaro of MV Sun Road Yatsuka V-226, a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel, to Coast Guard Station (CGS) Cebu.

According to 2/O Magaro, their vessel accidentally rammed an unidentified wooden fishing boat at the said vicinity. Crew of MV Sun Road Yatsuka V-226 immediately conducted a search and rescue operation and was able to save two fishermen identified as Tirso Balista, 27 years old, and Armando Edillon, 45 years old.

Another fisherman, however, went missing. He was identified as Christopher Aguitong, 32 years old.

All three victims are residents of Consolacion, Dalaguete, Cebu.
The SAR operation was temporarily terminated due to restricted visibility at the said area.

Personnel of CGSS Argao, together with a concerned citizen and relatives of the missing person, scoured the shoreline of Alcoy Island including the adjacent seawaters but also yielded negative result. Search operation was again temporarily terminated due to unfavorable sea condition.

Further, CGSS Argao personnel together with the vessel’s agent and local PNP of Alcoy, Cebu boarded MV Sun Road Yatsuka V-226 which was docked at the pier of Philippine Mining Services Corporation (PMSC) for verification and stated that the two survivors were all in good physical condition. They were brought to the PNP Station Alcoy for further investigation and to undergo medical examination.

The master of the vessel already submitted his Marine Protest at Coast Guard Station Cebu.

CGS Cebu advised all fisher folks in the locality to be on the lookout for said missing person and render assistance and report immediately if sighted.

M/V Sun Road Yatsuka V-226 is a bulk carrier with 14,941.00 GT/ 8,472.00 NT owned and operated KK Kyowa Sansho Co. Ltd and skippered by Oguni Yasuhiro.