6 passengers rescued from distressed motorboat off Palawan

MANILA – The offshore patrol vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17), which is assigned to the Naval Forces West (NFW), rescued six people aboard a distressed motorboat off Ulugan Bay in Palawan on Easter Sunday.

“M/B Dexter left Macarascas along with six passengers (five adults, one child) en route to Rita Island for a summer activity when they were seen by the crew of PS-17 at around 11 a.m. The crew was doing ship-to-shore activities at that time. Said M/B was seen dead on the water because of engine failure and taking in water due to the unfavorable sea conditions,” NFW public affairs office chief Lt. Joseph M. Ison said in a statement late Sunday.

Upon seeing the incident, BRP Andres Bonifacio’s commanding officer Commander Paul Michael Hechanova dispatched a rescue team to aid the passengers of the M/B Dexeter.

The passengers, one of whom was pregnant, were all provided medical aid upon rescue.

Ison said the ship also towed the damaged motorboat back to Barangay Macarascas.

“After ensuring that the passengers are stable, they were turned over to the Barangay Captain of Macarascas and safely arrived in their home at Purok Maligaya, Barangay Macarascas, Puerto Princesa City,” he added.

Ison said the Western Command, through NFW, will continue to stand on watch “not only to ensure the security of our sovereignty but also the safety of life at sea.”