THIRTY-ONE Filipino fishermen were rescued after their boat sank in the West Philippine Sea, a Philippine Navy official in Palawan reported yesterday.
Commodore Donn Anthony Miraflor, commander of the Naval Forces West, said a Navy ship was transporting the rescued fishermen to their hometown in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro yesterday.
Miraflor said the fishermen’s boat, FB Pauline 2, got punctured last Saturday night, causing the vessel to slowly sink, at the vicinity of Nares Bank, about 200 nautical miles from El Nido, Palawan. Miraflor could not immediately say what caused the puncture.
He said crewmembers of another Filipino fishing boat, FB Espanyola, provided assistance to the distressed fishermen. He said the crew of the FB Espanyola reported the incident to the Navy.
“Actually, FB Espanyola rescued them. They (crewmembers) extended assistance because the fishermen’s boat was also sinking. They took the fishermen into their boat but could not accommodate them that long,” said Miraflor.
Miraflor said a Navy ship conducting patrol in northern Palawan was ordered to meet with FB Espanyola so the rescued fishermen could be transferred to the Navy ship.
