Cebu sea mishap: Third body found, 1 missing

Sun.Star: CEBU CITY - Local fishermen yesterday recovered the third fatality from the sea mishap off Camotes Island, Cebu as an official said that one of the boat passengers was still missing. The body of Catalina Ditob, 78, was seen floating off Caubian, an island barangay of Lapu-Lapu City, almost a day after the MB Ave Maria 5, capsized in rough seas off Poro, Camotes Island Tuesday afternoon. Commander William Isaga, Coast Guard Visayas Command (CGVC) chief of staff, said they are still looking for a certain Lito Marañan, 53, who is still missing and feared dead. This developed as the CGVC finally identified the two other fatalities as Magdaleno Marañan, 80, and his wife Victoria, 85, of Poro town. MV Melrevic, a passenger vessel, and a Philippine Navy boat retrieved their bodies separately almost three hours after the accident. Authorities believed their old age, aggravated by chilly seawater, led to their death. Rescuers reportedly threw a rope at Victoria but she could no longer lift her arm to grab it. The mishap highlighted the need for the CG’s swift response to sea accidents, as its rescue vessel reportedly responded late. But Isaga described the accusation as unfair because the CGVC immediately relayed the distress call to MV Ormoc Star, a passenger ship. Isaga said the spot where the boat had capsized was well within the course of MV Ormoc Star, which left Cebu City port for Hilongos, Leyte around 4 p.m. He said personnel of CG detachment in Poro, Camotes, also manned the MV Melrevic, the second inter-island ferry to respond. Also, the BRP Ilocos Norte, CG’s search and rescue ship, rushed to the scene after they received an emergency call from one of the passengers at 4:30 p.m., Isaga added. Meanwhile, Isaga said they learned of the missing Lito Marañan after Airos Malinao showed up at the Cebu City-based CGVC headquarters yesterday morning. Malinao, grandson of the late Marañan couple, revealed that Lito was his uncle, he said. “Our search and rescue efforts will continue until we find the lone missing passenger. We already tapped private motorboats in Camotes and Danao City to help in the search," Isaga added. Also, Eufemio Granada sought CG’s assistance because Ditob was not among the rescued survivors. Ditob’s body was fished out from the seawaters off Caubian yesterday morning. Meanwhile, the CGVC is set to create a special board of marine inquiry (SBMI) to determine the real cause of the accident and possible negligence of the boat crew. Although the motorized banca has only over 60 people onboard, way below of its authorized capacity of 200, Isaga said the SBMI would still look into the possible overloading of cargo. Isaga said the Poro-bound MV Ave Maria 5, which left Ouano wharf in Mandaue City around 1 p.m., carried bags of rice, sugar, flour and fertilizers. When they ran into big waves, the passengers reportedly had to throw some of the cargo overboard to lighten the boat’s load. It proved futile, though. Survivor Junisito Portarcos, 41, an ABS-CBN employee in Cagayan de Oro City, told radio dyAB that they ran into foul weather right after the vessel left the Mactan channel. The CG said the MV Ave Maria 5 failed to withstand the constant battering of strong waves that bored a hole on its wooden hull. Junisito said that seawater then rushed in, causing the engine to conk out and forcing them to climb up the roof. Aided by life vests, the passengers positioned themselves on the life raft up on the roof and waited until the rough waters had engulfed the boat, he said. To prevent them from drifting fast, they tied one end of the life raft’s rope to the capsized motor-banca, he added. Junisito and his 35-year-old brother Romeo were among the 15 survivors rescued by the passing MV Ormoc Star. The Portarcos brothers were heading home to Camotes Island to pay their last respect to their late father. The accident came two weeks after MB Anton II, also a motorized banca, sank off Pilar, Camotes, killing three persons, including a 10-month-old boy. - Sun.Star