Motorized banca capsizes off Pasil Fishport, all passengers safe

CEBU, Philippines - Thirty people survived unscathed after the motorized banca they were riding capsized near the Pasil Fishport in Barangay Pasil yesterday afternoon.

The private banca was also carrying a casket and formalin to be used to prepare the body of the passengers’ departed relative for burial in Cabul-an, Bohol.

Randy Bulibuli, owner of the banca, said they departed from the Pasil fishport at around 2pm for Bohol when one of the banca’s outriggers hit a post of the viaduct of the South Road Properties (SRP).

Bulibuli said his relatives panicked and created a commotion, forcing the boat to lose balance and eventually capsize. He said it was fortunate that all of the passengers, the children included, could swim. He said they could not have overloaded because his boat reportedly could accommodate up to 150 passengers.

Personnel of the Special Rescue Unit of the Bureau of Fire Protection were also quick to respond to the incident. They brought the victims to shore using a rubber boat.

Bulibuli said the casket, formalin, and his passengers’ belongings sunk deep and could no longer be retrieved.The outrigger and the motor engine were totally damaged, he said.

Bulibuli said he came to Cebu to buy the casket and formalin and to also fetch his relatives who wanted to visit the wake of his father-in-law who died yesterday morning.

Bulibuli said the one in-charge of the helm rudder (timon) whom he identified only as Peter, might have not noticed the viaduct post right away. Peter has been in-charge of the helm rudder for more than a year already, he said. (FREEMAN)