Bodies of two missing fishermen found in Guimaras

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The bodies of two fishermen who were earlier reported missing were recovered on the morning of July 23 in the waters off Sibunag, Guimaras.

Search and Rescue Team 7 retrieved the body of Vincent Paul Valles, 30, around 7:50 a.m. off Inampulugan Island.

His body was found floating face down about 0.8 nautical mile east of the island.

Valles’ wife, Chelsea, identified the body through the clothing he wore.

Meanwhile, Search and Rescue Team 8 found the body of Ryan Galfo, 32, at around 10:34 a.m. in the same area.

Galfo’s body, already in an advanced stage of decomposition, was also found floating face down about 0.5 nautical mile east of Inampulugan Island.

Both victims were residents of Sitio Liningwan, Barangay Maabay in Sibunag.

They went missing around 9:30 p.m. on July 21 while fishing and were reported missing at 12:05 a.m. on July 22.

According to initial reports, Valles, Ryan Galfo, Reynaldo Galfo Jr., and Agustin Galfo Jr. went fishing using a gillnet.

Ryan Galfo jumped into the water to retrieve a fishing buoy but suffered an asthma attack.

Reynaldo attempted to rescue his brother, followed by Valles, who also dove in to help.

Strong currents and rough seas made rescue efforts difficult, and the two victims were swept away.

Their two companions tried to reach them but failed due to poor visibility and bad weather conditions.

Rescue operations continued until their bodies were recovered two days later.