A total of 45 passengers, all members of the Negros Brotherhood Riders Club, were rescued Sunday night, March 20, after the two motorized boats they were riding capsized in rough seas, between the territorial waters of Molocaboc Island and Sagay City in Negros Occidental.
This was after 10 persons were also rescued when a privately-owned motorized banca sank in the waters of Sipaway Island and San Carlos City, also in the province, Sunday afternoon.
All the 45 passengers were accounted for, and safe, the Sagay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said.
Wally Afuang, Sagay City DRRMO head, said the riders were immediately given medical attention at the Alfredo Marañon Sr. Memorial District Hospital.
“Everyone is safe and has not sustained any serious physical injury during the sea mishap,” Afuang said.
Most suffered from exhaustion during their sea ordeal, the Sagay DRRMO said.
The riders thanked God for keeping them safe, and to all those who helped and prayed for their rescue.
Afuang thanked the boatmen who responded first to the call for help, and other agencies, rescue volunteers, barangay responders, DepEd, DRRMO, the Sagay Marine Reserve Bantay Dagat, the Philippine Coast Guard, Sagay PNP, BFP Sagay, and the DRRMO personnel from the cities of Sagay, Cadiz, and Escalante.
It was a squall, a brief but violent sea storm, that caused the two motorboats to capsize, authorities said. /GB
