Colonel Wilson Santos, provincial police chief, said the body of Almario Mingueto, 63, was recovered at 7:21 a.m. along the shore of Barangay Tungib-Lipata, where he was a resident.
He was the third fatality from the motorized fishing boat, FB Green Horse, that sank near the Bellaroca Island Resort and Spa (formerly known as the Elephant Island) when strong waves spawned by Severe Tropical Storm “Jolina” battered their boat on Tuesday. Sixteen fishermen were on that boat.
Melvin Vitto, Buenavista disaster risk reduction, and management officer, reported Friday to the police that villagers found the body of Mingueto at their shore. His partner confirmed his identity.
Dr. Eleanor Grate of the municipal health office said Mingueto died from drowning. His body was in an advanced stage of decomposition.
Mingueto’s fishing companion Jovert Garay, 21, was first reported to have died from drowning and head injury on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The next day, the body of another fisherman, Bobby Villavicencio, 46, was found at 2 p.m. near the area where their boat sank.
Bobby’s brother Bernie, 41, was found at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay Pinggan, in Gasan town. Another brother, Hermes, 35, was located at 4:30 p.m. on the same day near the Bellaroca Island Resort.
The survivors, including boat captain Edgardo Garay, the uncle of Jovert, told the police that they left Pagbilao town in Quezon province at 6 p.m. on Tuesday after unloading their catch from fishing in Palawan.
They were sailing back home to Barangay Tungib-Lipata in Buenavista when, at 7 p.m., nine of the crew decided to swim to the nearest shore before the waves got bigger.
Seven others chose to stay to guard their boat, but strong waves sank their vessel at midnight off the shore of Barangay Yook, also in Buenavista. INQ
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