Coast Guard verifying reports of boat sinking off Danao-Camotes area

The Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu station is verifying reports that a seacraft sank off the Danao City-Camotes Island route at past 9 p.m. Sunday.

Rodolfo Villajuan, acting PCG Cebu station commander, said they received a call from a concerned citizen and sent their own boat to verify the report.

He also refuted reports that a passenger vessel firm sent their ship to rescue the passengers. Villajuan said their aluminum boat was still in Danao City waters as of 9 p.m. Sunday night.

Villajuan said they will head to the Camotes Island area next. He also said it’s likely the seacraft is small and undocumented.

Villajuan said their office had reminded small seacraft operators not to ply their craft at night since only large vessels are capable of navigating the waves in the evening.

Jay Dagatan, operations chief of the Danao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said relatives of the passengers went to their office to verify the reports.

He said based on what they gathered so far, the passengers attended a team-building activity on Camotes Island and rented a fishing boat after failing to make it to their scheduled trip. They were supposed to head back to work in Danao City Monday, Dagatan said.–Cebu Daily News