Dive yacht sinks near Tubbataha; 28 rescued, 4 still missing
BAD DREAM | A diving trip turned into a nightmare after the dive yacht MY Dream Keeper sank in the vicinity of Tubbataha Reef on Sunday morning. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Philippine Coast Guard)
MANILA, Philippines — Four persons went missing while 28 others were rescued after a dive yacht sank in the vicinity of Tubbataha Reef in Palawan on Sunday morning, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The PCG has dispatched one of its biggest ships, the BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), to conduct search and rescue for the four missing persons.
The coast guard substation Tubbataha also augmented the ongoing search and rescue.
The PCG said its command center received information from PCG District in Palawan that the dive yacht MY Dream Keeper — carrying 15 crew members, 12 passengers, and five dive masters — sank past 6 a.m. on Sunday.
PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo said the 12 passengers included four Chinese nationals, but he did not say whether they were part of the rescued or missing persons.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the incident. Meanwhile, deaths from a ship collision of two foreign-flagged ships off Corregidor Island on Friday have risen to three, the PCG said in an update on Sunday.
