Four in drifting banca rescued in Cansojong, Talisay City

CEBU, Philippines - After over 20 hours of drifting in high seas, four men were rescued by a fisherman off Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City, yesterday morning.

Those rescued were identified as Alan Miraña, 55; Josita Miraña, 54; Charles Baldo, 50; and Steven Campo, 30. They were rescued by fisherman Crisincio Tanian of Naga, Cebu.

The four left on the motorized banca in Tubigon, Bohol, for Cansojong, around 9 a.m. last Thursday after attending a relative’s wake.

Their relatives expected their arrival around 11 a.m., but after a few hours passed with still no sign of the boat they got worried and sought the help of the Fishermen Sea and Ecological Care which alerted the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard reportedly ignored the notice until dawn of yesterday when the families of the four asked for assistance from a local radio station.

After receiving the report, Coast Guard Station Commander Rolando Punzalan immediately ordered his men to try to locate the whereabouts of the missing boat. 

Punzalan also ordered their rescue vessel, the BRP San Juan, to be on standby for dispatch. He also denied they ignored the report following comparisons to their “lightning response” to the lost sailboat from Guam last week.

Those rescued said their motor malfunctioned just as the weather started to get rough, Alan recalled that their motor malfunctioned twice before it finally died.

With a busted motor, the passengers helplessly hoped for a miracle amidst the strong winds and high waves.

Alan said they tried to row their way through the strong waves, but exhaustion finally took over and the waves were just too strong.

The night passed and the four passengers of the boat fought hunger and the cold. When they woke up they saw a fishing boat and called for help, but the fishing boat reportedly declined to help them.

The current later brought them to a buoy, locally called as gango, a few nautical miles off Cansojong and they tied the boat to it.

Tanian passed by them around 6 a.m. on his way to fish and rescued them.

Apart from exhaustion and hunger, the four survivors appeared unharmed and were met by their anxious relatives.

Barangay Cansojong is reportedly planning to give Tanian a reward for saving the four.

Meanwhile, the body of a fisherman was found floating off Barangay Casay, Argao town, yesterday morning, with hack wounds and stab wounds.

The victim was identified by his close relatives as Remegio Calvo, 40, and a resident of Barangay Tapon, Dalaguete town.

Argao investigator Eliezer Monte said Argao Bantay Dagat member Rosalino Mangapis sighted the body while he was patrolling the area.

 As alleged by the relatives of the victim that Calvo was guarding a pump boat in Barangay Consolacion, Argao, but police officers wondered why his body was found in Casay which is far from Consolacion.

“We are investigating now katong kuyog niya gabii kay naa man kuno ni siya’y gikainom,” Monte said.  (FREEMAN)