THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has terminated its search and rescue operations for four missing passengers of a dive yacht that sank at the vicinity of the Tubbataha Reef in Palawan over a week ago.
PCG spokesman Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said they have searched all areas where the missing individuals may have swum or floated to, and failed to find the yacht’s owner, the dive master, and two guests.
“Its (search and rescue operation) is over, we terminated it because we’ve already covered the possible areas where they (victims) may have ended,” Balilo told a phone interview, adding the four might be “trapped inside” the sunken vessel.
The yacht MY Dream Keeper sank four nautical miles from Tubbataha Reef last April 30 due to squall or a sudden violent gust of wind or a localized storm.
Thirty-two passengers were on board the vessel, 28 of whom were rescued by responding PCG personnel.
Balilo said the efforts for the four missing persons have shifted to search and retrieval, which he said are being undertaken by the owners of MY Dream Keeper and the salvage firm they have contracted.
He said PCG assets and personnel have already been recalled from the area and that families of the four victims have been informed of the development.
Balilo had earlier said that divers are not capable of going inside the yacht to see if the missing individuals are inside, noting that the area where the vessel sank was about 1,700 deep.
