Bolinao fishermen recount ordeal at sea

MANILA, Philippines - The skipper of the ill-fated motorized fishing boat Axl John said they had been drifting in the West Philippine Sea for days off Bolinao, Pangasinan by the time they encountered a large vessel last Wednesday.

Edemio Balmores yesterday said they set out from Bolinao on June 17, but had engine trouble the next day. They anchored their boat to a payaw, or fish sanctuary.

On June 19, Balmores said their boat was damaged by large waves, causing it to overturn.

“We were drifting, holding on to the boat,” he said.

Fred Celino, Arnold Garcia, Domy de los Santos and Amante Resonable are still missing.  

According to Balmores, they waved clothes, polystyrene containers and other materials to catch the attention of the fishing vessel’s crew as it passed by, but they were apparently not noticed.

Their boat was destroyed by the waves generated by the vessel’s passing, he said.

But another survivor, Balmores’ cousin Herman Balmores, said the vessel directly hit their boat.

The cousins and two others – Celino Damian and a certain Christopher, who died later at a local hospital – were rescued from the sea off Magsingal, Ilocos Sur Saturday.