Quezon sea mishap: One dead, 22 rescued

One crew member drowned while all 17 passengers and five other crew personnel of M/B Gesu Bambino were rescued after a one-hour search and rescue operations

One person died and 22 others were rescued after a passenger boat capsized and sank off Atimonan, Quezon, on Monday morning.

The Quezon provincial police said all 17 passengers and five crew members of M/B Gesu Bambino were rescued.

Another crew member drowned, a separate report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. Gesu Bambino lef t Atimonan Feeder Port for Perez town around 11 a.m. About 500 meters away from port, the boat encountered strong waves around 11:30 a.m, until it capsized and submerged, the report said.

Upon learning of the incident, Jenalyn Shipping Lines sent M/V Pinoy RORO while another company sent a cargo boat from Alabat to rescue Gesu Bambino’s occupants.

Personnel of the Atimonan Feeder Port, along with the PCG, Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Atimonan Police conducted search and rescue operations.

The 22 rescued individuals were found after an hour of rescue operations, police said.

They were brought to Alabat town where they underwent checkup in a hospital.

Also in Quezon, PCG personnel participated in the “Doctors on Boat” mission of the Philippine Medical Association in Polillo Island assist families severely affected by the recent typhoons.

The team included 30 doctors and other mission volunteers from Quezon City.

Also part of the assistance team provided by the Department of Transportation were drivers, police and military personnel, local government units’ staff and various land and water vehicles.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PCG PHILIPPINE Coast Guard stays true to its mandate of saving lives, like in this partnership with Catanduanes Doctors Hospital in delivering relief supplies and basic necessities to Barangay Obo in San Miguel town that was affected by past typhoons.