Boat sinks after collision with another boat near Marigondon

TWO motor bancas collided off the seas of barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City, yesterday morning.

PO3 Napoleon Taneo, Maritime investigator, told Cebu Daily News that a small pump boat coming from Pandanon Island accidentally collided with a motor banca owned by the Island Banca Cruises at 10:30 a.m.

Badong Reyes, a passenger of the Island Banca Cruises boat  MB Bariles 2, said  it was a miscommunication on the part of both boat captains.

Reyes said  the boat captain assumed that the other boat would slow down considering that it was a slightly bigger banca.

He told CDN how the boats collided.

He said  the MB Bariles 2 captain increased speed  when  saw that the other banca didn’t slow down to avoid a collision.

However, the boats collided with the MB Bariles 2’s outrigger hitting the prow of the other boat and destroying it.

The other boat sank in less than a minute.

Reyes said  maritime authorities should train or strictly implement rules where boat crew can communicate  with each other at sea especially with these kinds of small seacraft.

Maritime police said the boat was overloaded, which was carrying 27 passengers who were going home from attending a fiesta from Pandanon.

The MB Bariles 2, however, was only carrying 17 passengers.

No one was hurt as the crew and passengers of MB Bariles 2 rescued the 27 passengers and brought them to Parker Beach Resort in barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City.

Taneo said  owners of the boats reached an amicable settlement after the owner of the Island Banca Cruises agreed to pay for the repair of the damaged motor banca.