Christmas miracle: 16 rescued from capsized boat off Biliran

TACLOBAN CITY-Sixteen passengers were rescued by local fishermen past 7 a.m. on Christmas Day, about 10 hours after their motorized pumpboat capsized in the waters between Masbate and Sambawan Island, Maripipi town in Biliran province.

They were brought to the rural health unit in Maripipi town where they recovered.

“They were all okay although they were still in a state of shock,” said Inspector Ramon Obispo, police chief of Maripipi.

The group left the port of P. Corpus early evening of Christmas eve and was headed to Culaba town in Biliran to attend a wedding which was scheduled for Saturday.

Culaba is about two hours away on board a pumpboat.

Obispo said the weather was fine when they left the port.

But he said the boat could be sailing against the current or was hit by a series of waves which caused the pumpboat to capsize about 9 p.m.

For 10 hours, they hung on to the capsized pumpboat until they were rescued about 7 a.m. on Friday by local fishermen.