16 foreign divers, 4 Filipinos rescued from capsized boat off popular Cebu diving spot

CEBU CITY—Twenty people, mostly foreign tourists, were rescued from a motor boat that capsized off the coast of Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan town, Cebu province on Monday (July 8).

The boat named MBCA Thresher Shark was at the vicinity of Malapascua and Capitancillo islands for an island hopping excursion around 11 a.m. when the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received a distress call.

The cause of the accident has not been known yet.

Coast Guard regional spokesperson Michael John Encina said the boat came from Malapascua, a known diving spot, carrying 13 foreign divers, three foreign dive instructors, a local dive master and three Filipino crewmen.

Everyone on the boat are now safe.

The rescued foreigners included an Australian, a Swiss, a Hong Kong national, two Spaniards, five Americans, three Germans, an Israeli, an Italian and a Canadian.

Daanbantayan is at least 127 kilometers north of Cebu City. (Editor: Tony Bergonia)