10 people rescued drifting at sea in Tawi-Tawi
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Ten people – eight Malaysians and two Filipinos were rescued drifting at sea in Tawi-Tawi province by two foreign cargo vessels as the watercraft they were riding encountered mechanical trouble amid inclement weather, a top military official said Monday.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Racadio, commander of the Naval Task Group (NTG)-Tawi-Tawi and Joint Task Force (JTF)-Tawi-Tawi, said the eight Malaysians and two Filipinos were rescued Saturday by Falcon Triumph, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier, and High Adventure, a Panama-flagged tanker while traversing along the Tawi-Tawi waters.
The crew of Falcon Triumph radioed the Naval Forces Western Mindanao’s Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS)-Bongao informing them they had sighted and rescued four people aboard a life raft.
The crewmen of High Adventure also reported to LMS-Bongao that they saw and rescued six people overboard at their vessel’s port beam while navigating in Tawi-Tawi waters toward their destination.
The crew of the two foreign vessels turned over the ten rescued individuals to the NTG-Tawi-Tawi, who provided them with assistance.
Racadio said an investigation showed the eight Malaysians were crew and passengers of M/V Belait Surita that drifted at sea after they encountered a pipe explosion while traveling from Sandakan City, Malaysia, to Talabtab, Malaysia. One crew member of the vessel was reported missing.
Racadio said the two Filipinos were aboard a motorboat that was battered by inclement weather after they departed Tahaw Island, Languyan, to Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.
“The motor banca encountered weather challenges during its voyage,” he added.
The NTF-Tawi-Tawi coordinated with their Malaysian counterpart to fetch their rescued countrymen. Philippine News Agency
