Coast Guard tracking down missing boat off Davao Occidental

DIGOS CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)  in Davao Occidental is tracking down a boat that broke loose from its anchorage in the waters off Barangay Kitayo, Jose Abad Santos as strong winds spawned by Tropical Storm Falcon battered the area on Monday.

Raul Banuelos, the boat owner, told PCG that the strong winds prompted him to drop anchor on the shoreline of Barangay Kitayo Sunday evening and sought refuge in a relative’s house.

The boat was reported missing Monday morning.

Banuelos said the vessel’s anchor slipped from the sand and was probably carried by the strong winds out to sea.

Christian Robert Nieto, PCG station commander, issued an alert for the missing boat.

Nieto, however, added that efforts to locate and recover the missing boat are being hampered by inclement weather. /gsg