By Pearl Gumapos
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Sub-Station Calatagan rescued two fishermen from a capsized motor banca in the vicinity waters of Cape Santiago Light Station in Calatagan, Batangas at around 5:00 p.m. last Monday (July 19).
According to PCG Station Batangas Commander Capt. Geronimo Tuvilla, they received information from Vessel Traffic Monitoring System-Batangas that there was a capsized motor banca in their area of responsibility.
The PCG Batangas Station relayed the information to PCG Sub-Station Calatagan, which dispatched a search and rescue (SAR) team on board a Coast Guard aluminum boat.
“Despite the strong waves and wind conditions prevailing in the area, the SAR team was able to find and rescue the two fishermen,” Tuvilla said.
The rescued individuals were brought to safety, assessed, and properly turned over to their families, while their capsized motor banca was towed back to shore.
“We also reminded them to prioritize their personal safety by not venturing out to sea during bad weather and/or sea conditions,” Tuvilla said. – jlo