THE Philippine Coast Guard yesterday said it found debris believed to be from the helicopter carrying four people that was reported missing in Palawan last Wednesday.
The PCG’s BRP Malabrigo found debris, suspected to be part of the aircraft’s fire extinguisher, off Brooke’s Point and Balabac towns.
“BRP Malabrigo found the suspected debris which is believed to be part of the Yellow Bee (helicopter),” the PCG said, adding it is verifying whether the debris was indeed part of the aircraft.
The PCG said there was no sighting of the occupants of the aircraft.
It said the Philippine Air Force is helping in the conduct of search and rescue operations.
The Philippine Aeronical Rescue Coordination Center sought the assistance of the PCG to locate the Yellow Bee helicopter, with tail number N45VX, that went missing last Monday.
Onboard the aircraft was the pilot and three passengers — a patient and the patient’s two relatives.
The helicopter fetched the patient at Mangsee Island in Balabac town. Contact with the aircraft was lost at 12:01 p.m. while it was enroute to Brooke’s Point.
Later yesterday, a PCG search and rescue team also retrieved a dilapidated rainbow-colored pillow about 13.4 nautical miles from Balabac proper.
“The said pillow was owned by the patient on board Yellow Bee (helicopter), as confirmed by her uncle,” the PCG said.
“The PCG is conducting a search and rescue operation in the vicinity waters (of Brooke’s Point and Balabac),” the PCG said.
