1 more body recovered from capsized sand vessel – PCG

The Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog recovers one more body from the capsized sand vessel MV Hong Hai 16 in the waters off Occidental Mindoro on Saturday, April 19, 2025. —Photo from Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — One more body was recovered from the capsized sand vessel MV Hong Hai 16 on Saturday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Southern Tagalog District.

Twenty-five Filipino and Chinese crew members were on board when the vessel capsized in the waters off Rizal town, Occidental Mindoro province on Tuesday afternoon.

READ: Sand vessel capsizes; 2 dead, 9 of 25 crewmen still missing

“The Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog reports that one body was successfully retrieved from the accommodation area of capsized Motor Vessel Hong Hai 16 at around 3:56 p.m. today, 19 April 2025 during an ongoing underwater operations at the site in Rizal waters of Occidental Mindoro,” the PCG said in a statement.

The identity of the individual recovered was still pending, the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog added.

Four more individuals were still missing, the coast guard further said, assuring that diving operations were still ongoing to find them.

A professional salvor had reportedly been contracted by Hong Hai 16’s owner and was expected to arrive at the site by Monday.