Coast Guard ends search for 14 missing Myanmar crewmen

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday ended search and rescue operations for the 14 missing Myanmar crewmen, on the belief that they perished inside the ship that sank off Bolinao, Pangasinan.

PCG Northern Luzon District commander Captain Pablo Gonzalez said the 14 Myanmar crewmen could have been trapped inside the cargo ship that went down to some 6,000 feet last Sunday.

Gonzalez explained they could only assume that the 14 men have already drowned, even though they are classified as “missing.”

“It’s difficult to give a final statement since we have not seen the ship. They are still missing but the probability to find them alive is really very slim,” he said.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and other agencies also agreed to end the search and rescue mission for the 14 officers and crew of the M/V Arita Bauxite after three days of search.

“We are still hopeful that we would see them and if we do, we would resume (the search),” Gonzalez added.

Gonzalez said they are continuing to monitor the shorelines from Bolinao to Infanta town of Pangasinan by asking the fishermen in these areas to be on the lookout for possible sightings of the 14 missing crewmen.

“But if we look at the situation and circumstances, many of those missing were engineers and based on the statement of the chief mate, who was one of the survivors, they were still working and trying to revive the main engine of the ship when the ship sank,” he added.

The 30,000-gross ton Bauxite, in just seven minutes, reportedly sank to the depth of 1,038 fathoms or 6,216 feet.

The ship reportedly encountered engine trouble while sailing to Indonesia. There were 24 Myanmar nationals on board.

“If they were below the ship, in the engine room, which is more or less four stories below, they might not have made it out of the ship in time,” Gonzalez said.

Bauxite reportedly went down some eight nautical miles northwest off the coast of Bolinao.

Technical divers could only dive to the depth of 300 to 500 feet, thus making it difficult for them to check if the 14 missing crew were inside the ship, he said.

“We have terminated the search and rescue because there was no longer any indication that there were still survivors... It has also become too strenuous for our vessels to do a surface search because there were big waves and strong winds at site where the vessel sank. We are also encountering gale force winds.”

For three days, the Coast Guard and rescue units from the local government of Bolinao searched the area for survivors.

The officers and crew of the ship who survived the incident were turned over to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last Feb. 19.

Among the fatalities was Mying Aung, the ship’s cook.

The government is also coordinating with the representative of the ship agent for the repatriation of the nine crewmen.

The Myanmar embassy has been informed of their decision to end the surface sea and aerial search.

As for the oil spill, Gonzalez said they are monitoring its development. Oil reportedly seeped out from the fuel tank of the ship.

“As of yesterday the oil spill was sighted moving in the northwest direction, going out of the West Philippine Sea. It will just thin out and become a light sheen until it evaporates. So, I think it is best that we let nature do the rest,” he said.– With Eva Visperas