Motorboat with tourists capsizes off Carles coast

By Mariela Angella Oladive

A motorboat carrying 13 tourists and four crew members bound for an island-hopping trip to Gigantes Island capsized off the waters of Barangay Buenavista in Carles, Iloilo, on Monday morning, Feb. 9.

The incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m., nearly an hour after the motorboat departed from Bancal Port in Carles.

All passengers and crew members were rescued safely, and no injuries were reported.

In an interview with a local radio station, Philippine Coast Guard Iloilo spokesperson Ensign El John Ga said the tourists—mostly senior citizens from Luzon—were traveling with four crew members when they encountered sudden rough sea conditions en route to Gigantes Island.

Ga said the motorboat was hit by strong winds, heavy rain, and large waves caused by an abrupt weather disturbance, which led to the vessel capsizing.

Crew members immediately called for help, prompting a joint rescue operation by the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police Maritime Group.

All passengers were wearing life vests at the time of the incident, which helped ensure their safe rescue.

An initial investigation by Coast Guard Iloilo showed that weather conditions were still favorable when the motorboat left port, with no early indications of worsening seas.

Authorities said the motorboat has a passenger capacity of up to 30 people.

Following the incident, the Coast Guard reminded tourists and motorboat operators to remain vigilant and continuously monitor weather conditions before and during sea travel to prevent similar accidents.