Authorities halt aerial search for missing Camarines Norte fishermen

NAGA CITY, Philippines–Authorities conducting search and rescue for the two fishermen, who went missing on Wednesday last week, stopped their aerial search on Tuesday (February 3), an Army official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Medel Aguilar, commander of 49th Infantry Battalion based in Labo, Camarines Norte, said they had stopped using Huey helicopters to search for the two fishermen from Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte–Melchor delos Reyes, 52, of Barangay North Poblacion, and Joselito Vidal, 40, of Barangay Sta. Rosa Norte.

Aguilar said the choppers had searched all over the seas surrounding the towns of Jose Panganiban, Vinzons and Paracale in Camarines Norte, all the way to Quezon province area, but were unable to find any trace of the missing fishermen.

He said Jose Panganiban Mayor Ricarte Padilla was accompanied in the aerial search by Leonardo dela Cruz, 60, the fisherman who survived the strong waves and currents that capsized their motorized banca while fishing last Wednesday (January 28) at 6 p.m. in the vicinity of Pulong Tanza, a small islet included in the Calaguas Group of Islands in Vinzons.

Dela Cruz was able to report the sinking of the boat to authorities after he was rescued last Thursday (January 29) by other fishermen in Jose Panganiban while floating unconscious off the shores of Sitio Pulong Bato, Barangay Salvacion, also in Jose Panganiban.

Aguilar said the search for the fishermen was handed over to the local government units (LGU) and Philippine Coast Guard.

Quoting Padilla, Aguilar said the disaster rescue units from the LGU and Coast Guard have started looking for the fishermen on the seas and shores around the eastern part of Camarines Norte, using boats.

The search for the fishermen is now on its sixth day since they were reported missing on Thursday (January 29) last week.

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