1 missing, 2 survive in Leyte sea mishap

NOW SAFE. The two survivors of a sea mishap in Leyte take shelter at a police station in Pilar, Cebu on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. A boat owner went missing while two of his companions survived when their boat broke down off the waters of Merida, Leyte, on Monday (Oct. 21), the Philippine Coast Guard reported. (Photo courtesy of Jovel Juntilla)

TACLOBAN CITY — A boat owner went missing while two of his companions survived when their banca broke down off Merida, Leyte on Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

On board a small motor boat, the three left Naungan village in Ormoc City around 10 a.m. and headed to Pilar town in Cebu to pick up cargo when they encountered an engine problem after an hour, according to the PCG station in Western Leyte.

The survivors told authorities that their small sea vessel eventually sank due to rough seas brought about by poor weather.

“One of the passengers contacted a relative in Naungan, Ormoc City, requesting a rescue after their boat lost power in the waters near Merida. Rescuers were unable to locate the boat on Monday,” the PCG station said in its report.

Two passengers, Jessy Anasco, 30, and Junrex Ianogan, 18, managed to swim for hours and arrived in Pilar around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. They are now taking shelter at the local police station in the town.

The PCG deployed its rescuers to find the boat owner, Rodolfo Villar, 70. All of them are residents of Ormoc City.

The three left Ormoc port an hour before the Coast Guard issued the notice to mariners prohibiting all vessels from venturing into the sea.

Meanwhile, in a notice to mariners issued Tuesday, PCG stations in Eastern Visayas provinces said all sea vessels plying the route within the region are prohibited from leaving ports as Kristine intensifies into a tropical storm.

In its Tuesday morning forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Kristine has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was last tracked 390 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 was hoisted in all Eastern Visayas provinces: Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte.