8 crew members of tugboat that sank off Occidental Mindoro saved

CITY OF CALAPAN – Some eight crew members of a tugboat were rescued on Sunday, Oct. 9, after their vessel sank in the waters around Golo Island in Looc town in Occidental Mindoro province, according to a social media post by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The five crew members of tugboat Betheva 2 were first rescued by M/B RG Brothers on Saturday, Oct. 8. They were taken to Barangay (village) Talaotao on Golo Island to receive medical assistance.

Alfie Dangue, captain of the tugboat and among those first rescued, said in the social media post by PCG that they were sailing from South Harbor, Manila going to Rio Tuba in Palawan when they encountered a huge wave which caused flooding in the engine room.

The tugboat then sank at around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Those first rescued were Dangue, Jerwin Adion, Ariel Sadje, Ronel Padon, and Gerald Manzano.

Dangue said the three other crew members — Joshua Brizal, Jerome Feildad, and a certain “Jay” — were in a life raft when they last saw them.

The PCG continued the search and rescue operation for the missing three on Sunday morning.

However, Brizal, Feildad, and Jay were rescued by residents of Barangay Talaotao at around 10:30 a.m.

All eight are safe, said the PCG report.

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