A total of 52 passengers, including five children, were rescued and brought to shore late Wednesday evening after the ship they took from Siquijor encountered some engine trouble and was forced to drop anchor off the coast of Barangay Mangnao in Dumaguete City.
Station commander Cecille Romero of the Philippine Coast Guard in Dumaguete said the passenger/cargo vessel, M/V Ciara Joie of Aleson Shipping, stalled before it was scheduled to dock at the city port around 7 p.m. after it left Siquijor around 5:30 p.m.
The incident came just two days after the M/V Ciara Joie was allowed by the Maritime Industry Authority to resume operations following suspension of sea travel for a few days after its engine also stalled Dec. 5 some six nautical miles off Siquijor.
Romero disclosed her office received a call from the distressed ship around 8 p.m. Wednesday that it had to drop anchor off Ihalason Beach in Mangnao some 400 meters from the shore.
But it took about two hours for the Coast Guard to coordinate and find a sea vessel that would rescue the stranded passengers, according to Romero.
Rescue efforts commenced around 10 p.m. with all the passengers safely brought to shore shortly before midnight, the Coast Guard commander said.
She said the delayed rescue efforts resulted from the refusal of two passenger vessels — Cokaliong Shipping and Montenegro Shipping — to respond to the distress call as the location of the M/V Ciara Joie and the huge waves were risky for them, said Romero.
Cokaliong said they could not take chances of coming closer to the Ciara Joie and run aground due to the big waves and shallow water, Romero explained.
A small tugboat docked at the Dumaguete port also declined as it was not capable of towing the M/V Ciara Joie, such that the Coast Guard had to seek the assistance of the Dumaguete government in allowing them the use of two rubber boats of Rescue 348.
Coast Guard personnel and its auxiliary spearheaded the rescue efforts of the passengers who were provided free meals by Aleson Shipping and brought to the city port’s passenger terminal later, Romero said.
The ship’s crew and officers, totaling 20 including its captain, Dave Macatiog, opted to remain on board the M/V Ciara Joie for the night until to secure the vessel until it was towed to the Dumaguete port. (PNA)
