InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines – Eleven Indonesian seamen were rescued last Sunday after the tugboat they were boarding encountered a problem while sailing on rough sea off Sitio Laoag, Barangay Maloma, San Felipe, Zambales.
The first three of the victims were rescued by Sitio Laoag fisherman Ramon de la Cruz, 49, who later informed authorities that they were eight more who needed to be saved, according to Senior Inspector Randy Mendoza, chief of police of the San Felipe Municipal Police Station.
The nine Indonesians on board “Harlina 3” were identified as ship captain Firman Ichsandy, 35; Jam Hari, 25, chief officer; Mr. Aseng, 25, oiler/mechanic; Mr. Jose; Mr. Soduino, 48; Mr. Suhermanto, 26; Mr. Agustinus Massor, 20; Mr. Nurudin, 25; Mr. Akram, 24; Mr. Miftahul Huda, 27; and Mr. Sulaiman, 34.
They were temporarily housed at the Summer Inchiban Resort in Sitio Tek-Tek, Barangay Sindol, also in San Felipe where Indonesian acting consul Vera Kilapong visited them before the nine went back to Indonesia.
Mendoza said the seamen had left Indonesia on August 9 and were supposed to sail to China when they encountered big waves along the way
“While voyaging, the tugboat encountered high waves prompting the rope of the anchor to fall on the sea. The rope then coiled the two propellers of the tugboat prompting its engine to stop working. The tugboat was carried by high waves until it reach the vicinity of Sitio Laoag,” Mendoza said.
The first three who were saved by Dela Cruz -- Ichsandy, Hari and Aseng – said they had jumped off the tugboat to remove the entangled rope from the propeller but were carried away by strong current.
The eight other victims were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard.
