PCG shifts to retrieval ops for missing divers in Tubbataha: Prospects of survivors dim

FILE PHOTO: The Tubbataha Reef National Park in Palawan is one of the country’s protected areas. GREGG YAN / CONTRIBUTOR

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday shifted its operations to search and retrieval to look for the remaining four missing passengers of the sunken diving yacht in Tubbataha Reef in Palawan, saying prospects of finding survivors has becoming dim.

“The Philippine Coast Guard District-Palawan has shifted to ‘search and retrieval operations’ after seven days of search and rescue (operations for the four missing individuals on board ‘dive yacht M/Y Dream Keeper,’” the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The new directive took effect on Sunday, May 7, according to PCG.

PCG said M/Y Dream Keeper carried 15 crew members, 12 guests and passengers along with five dive masters when it sank on April 30.

So far, only 28 of them have been rescued, according to the PCG.

Four individuals remain missing: the owner, two passengers, and one dive master. —Maria Liezl Projella, INQUIRER.net trainee 

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Dive yacht sinks near Tubbataha; 28 rescued, 4 still missing

JPV