Four fishermen rescued off Guimaras

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Four fishermen were rescued in the waters of Guimaras province after their fishing boat got battered by strong winds.

Crew members of Starlite Venus Ro-Ro vessel rescued John delos Santos, 66, and his son, 23-year-old Jomar; Michael Nazareno, 23; and Rey Calixto Torre, 42. All are residents of Barangay Cabanbanan, Oton, Iloilo.

The boat was owned and skippered by the older delos Santos.

After receiving the information, Lt. Edison Diaz of the Philippine Coast Guard-Iloilo Station said they sent radio messages to vessels to look for a fishing boat that might need rescue.

Delos Santos said they sailed off with good weather early evening of Saturday. But at around 11PM, they heard a crack and learned that their outrigger had already detached from their boat.

He said they called the PCG in Tigbauan, Iloilo until their mobile phone’s battery got drained.

They tried to balance their boat to avoid capsizing.

Delos Santos even hinted at a possible sabotage of their boat.

The four endured the cold weather while trying to scoop out water from their boat until they were rescued around 5AM Sunday in the waters of Barangay Sinapsapan in Jordan, Guimaras.

 

“We also prayed a lot,” both Nazareno and delos Santos said.

 

The four were brought to the PCG-Iloilo Station at Fort San Pedro, City Proper, Iloilo City.