The owners of the ill-fated cargo ship MV Ever Transport III, which ran aground off the coast of barangay Calindagan in Dumaguete, has assured authorities that they will retrieve their capsized vessel as soon as they finalize the contract with the salvage operator.
Lt. Cmdr. Agapito Bibat, commander of the Dumaguete Coast Guard Station, said he was informed by the Zamboanga-based Kheri Shipping Lines last Tuesday that they have contracted the Steel Ray Salvaging Services to refloat the boat.
The MV Ever Transport III, skippered by Capt. Romeo Cuevas, ran aground and capsized after it was battered by big waves spawned by Tropical Storm Sendong last Dec. 17, while it was moored off the Dumaguete port.
The ship had 23 crew members and nine members of the crew’s families, including a two-year-old boy, who were all rescued by various rescue teams who responded to the distress call.
The announcement came after fears were expressed by City Administrator William Ablong about possible environmental damage along the Dumaguete coastline resulting from a possible oil spill.
However, Cmdr. Bibat assured the public that the oil and fuel on board the ill-fated vessel have been removed by another ship belonging to the Uni-Orient Pearl Ventures Inc. last Dec. 29. (with reports from Melissa Alexandra B. Pal)
