Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 27) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported the recovery on Monday of two more bodies in waters off northern Cebu, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to seven.
Based on one of the survivors’ accounts, the PCG said the boat encountered strong winds and big waves at 1 a.m. on Friday while on fishing operations.
Health personnel from Cadiz City provided medical treatment to the survivors. The PCG said it ensured that the fishermen were in good physical condition before they were transported back to their respective families.
In a separate maritime incident, the PCG said a crew member’s body was pulled from a submerged ferry in Ormoc City.
The body was retrieved from a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessel that figured in an accident at the port of Ormoc City.
In a statement Saturday, the PCG said the victim—a female purser aged 33 years old—was found under several pieces of cargo carried by the MV Lite Ferry 3.
“There were no passengers on board the vessel but was loaded with cargo,” Danilo Lines Inc., owner of the vessel, said in a Facebook post.
The distressed ship had 16 crew members, 15 of whom were successfully rescued shortly after the ferry sank while maneuvering to dock at Ormoc Port late Friday night.
The PCG continued search and rescue operations, identifying the latest recovered remains as those of Frankie Chavez, the boat’s captain, and Renante Forsuelo.
Another body, found late Sunday afternoon, has been identified by authorities as Hermoño Ronamo.
On Saturday night, authorities said a group of local divers from Bantayan Island found the bodies of Norberto Parlotzo and Rommel Engle
On the afternoon the next day, the coast guard retrieved two bodies, identified as Julit Salvo and Victor Calvo.
The vessel sank between the waters off Tanguingui Island in northern Cebu and Gigantes Island in Iloilo on Friday, the coast guard said.
Two fishermen remain missing: Julian Dungog and Manuel Auditor.
On Friday afternoon, its sister vessel FV Old Man and The Sea successfully rescued 22 of the 31 crew members.
