Fishing boat from East Visayas capsizes off Dapa in Siargao Island; 11 crew safe

Eleven crew members of a fishing boat from Eastern Visayas were rescued on January 17, from the waters near the vicinity of Dapa Island off Surigao, after their boat capsized due to inclement weather.

Mr. Leo Lacaba, the Disaster Coordinator of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council of Guiuan informed the Philippine Information Agency to contact a fish dealer in Tacloban City who was the one contacted by the crew members of the ill-fated fishing boat.

When contacted by PIA, the fish dealer, Mr. Marion Rodrigo said that he was contacted via his cellphone by one of the rescuers of the crewmembers informing him that the 11 survivors were safe and were being taken cared of by the local fishermen at the municipality of Dapa, Surigao del Norte in Siargao Island, about three hours by motorboat to Surigao City.

He said that one of the survivors remembered his cellphone number because he usually buys the fishing boat's catch. The fishing boat does not have a name printed on its hull but he said that it is known by the call sign “Cebu Pacific.”

Mr. Rodrigo intimated that he sent money via LBC in the morning of January 18, as requested, for the transportation of the survivors from Surigao City to Tacloban.

At about 11:00 o'clock in the morning of January 19, the 11 survivors left Dapa Island for Surigao City. They were expected to arrive in Surigao City at about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon. From there, the survivors will proceed to Tacloban.

The fishing boat which is owned by a couple who are residents of Suluan Island, in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, left Tacloban City for a fishing expedition on January 4, Mr. Rodrigo said.

Mr. Rodrigo believes that the fishing boat is on its way back to Tacloban when it capsized off Surigao due to bad weather. (PIA)

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