American hero in Ormoc sea tragedy opposes murder raps vs. banca owner, crew 

Some survivors in the sinking of the passenger banca MB Kim Nirvana last Thursday consider American Larry Drake a hero for saving three of his co-passengers including a young boy and a pregnant woman. 

 

In an interview with GMA News, Drake said it was wrong for the police to charge the owner and the crew of the motorized outrigger with murder.

 

"In my personal opinion, it's wrong. They did a good job. They really did. They tried to save people. I think it was just an accident. Everybody was saying it was overloaded, the captain did an illegal maneuver... But these people [who are] saying all these stuff are not on the boat," he said in a report on GMA-7's "24 Oras" on Monday. 

 

Drake then gave his recollection of what happened when the passenger banca capsized off Ormoc City port. 

 

"When he accelerated to get going, we heard this big crack. I think the right rear outrigger broke, a wave hit the left front, and it brought the boat up and over it went. Some people are trying to say it just rolled over. One hundred percent wrong. The left front rose up and it slammed upside down," he said. 

 

PCG said that Drake's statement is one of the possibilities they are looking at. It has also ordered a stress test to be conducted on MB Kim Nirvana's outrigger. 

 

According to the Ormoc City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the passenger banca was transporting 224 passengers but only 187 were listed on its manifesto. 

 

The death toll from the incident has already reached 61, three are still missing, while 163 passengers survived.  — Trisha Macas/ELR, GMA News