2 fishermen rescued from submerged boat in Occidental Mindoro

LUCENA CITY — Two fishermen were rescued on Saturday morning, April 13, after their boat submerged in the waters off Lubang town in Occidental Mindoro.

In a report, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Southern Tagalog said that at around 8 a.m., the PCG station in Lubang was informed that the fishing boat “Rex and Roy” with two fishers aboard was half-submerged at about 12 nautical miles south of Cabra Island.

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The PCG personnel, assisted by local authorities, rushed to the site and rescued the two fishermen, Joel Damalerio, 80, and Rolan Ranque, 51, both residents of Mamburao town.

Both fishermen were found in good physical condition. They were brought to Lubang town for further medical examination and were assisted by local authorities, the report said.

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The rescuers towed the fishing boat to safety and securely anchored it to the nearest “payaw” for temporary shelter.

A “payaw” is a type of artificial reef structure used in fishing. It is made of bamboo poles or stakes anchored to the seabed often used to attract fish and improve fish catch.

The report did not provide information on why the boat was submerged.