Fisherman finds helmet of one of two missing PAF pilots

Following recovery of helmets of one of the two missing Air Force pilots, Air Force commanding general Lt Gen. Lauro Catalino de la Cruz vows no let up in the search of the missing pilots and the wreckage of the bronco; an inquirer source said the helmet belonged to Lt Jonathan Nacion. Photo from PAF public information office.

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines—A fisherman has found the helmet of one of the two missing Air Force pilots floating near Sombrero Island in Narra, Palawan, the head of the search and rescue operations said on Saturday.

Brigadier General Conrado Parra Jr., head of Joint Task Force Bronco looking for the missing OV-10 Bronco that crashed off Palawan on June 23, confirmed the helmet belonged to one of the two missing pilots.

Parra said a search team has been deployed to investigate the area where the helmet was found.

“Joint Task Force Bronco will do search and rescue operations south of the suspected crash site down to Rasa Island today,” the Task Force said in a statement issued Saturday.

Parra said the area where the helmet was found was retrieved by a certain Ludivir Nuñez, a fisherman from Narra, about 45 nautical miles south of where some of the plane’s debris were found after the crash.

The Task Force said it has requested for the continued deployment of an oil firm’s remote operated vehicle which was pulled out for company duties after a day of futile search operation early this week.