Crew member of illegal fishing boat hit by stray bullet

LUCENA CITY – A young crew member of an illegal fishing boat was wounded when a stray bullet hit him in the head in Atimonan town in Quezon province on Thursday, police said Friday.

Police said Aaron Carls Ferdez, 17, had just alighted from their fishing boat anchored along the shore in Barangay (village) Caridad Ibaba when he was hit by the bullet.

He was brought to a local hospital for emergency treatment then transferred to a Lucena City hospital

Police said the victim’s fishing boat, called a “buli-buli”, had been  classified as illegal since it used fine mesh nets.

Authorities said the boat was being pursued by policemen and fish wardens from the island town of Perez for unlawful fishing.
Police are conducting further investigation to identify the origin of the bullet. CBB/rga