4 die as boat capsizes off Albay town

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Government search-and-rescue teams rescued 21 people, mostly teachers, from a passenger boat that capsized in heavy seas off the town of Bacacay in Albay late Friday afternoon. At least four people, including the boat’s skipper, died in the accident and their bodies have been recovered, officials said Saturday.

A police field report  to the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Saturday morning identified the fatalities as Jeffry Osario, 25, of Barangay Sugod,  a census enumerator of the National Statistics Office; Emerlita Barrameda, a public school teacher from Cagraray village; Chechin Espeniling, a minor; and Diego Crisol, the boat captain. All were residents of Bacacay.

Chief Inspector Luke Ventura, Bacacay town police chief, said three of the fatalities drowned while the boat’s captain, who also owned and operated the boat, died of a heart attack after the M/B John Ashley  developed engine trouble at around 5 p.m.

He said 19 of the 25 passengers were public elementary school teachers who where on their way home to  Bacacay. The boat came from the island village of Cagraray.

Citing survivor accounts,  Ventura said the passengers of the wooden outrigger boat panicked when the engine conked out and  big waves started hitting the boat, causing it to capsize.

Initial reports from the Philippine Coast Guard said the passengers failed to put on life vests despite their availability on the boat.

The PCG said the boat also sailed despite a gale warning issued by the weather bureau. The accident occurred  2 kilometers  from the Bacacay pier,  25 kilometers from Legazpi.

Seven of the survivors were rushed to the Ziga Memorial District Hospital in Tabaco City and the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital here and were reported in stable condition.

Originally posted at 11:57 a.m.