9 rescued as ship runs aground off Cavite

MANILA, Philippines - A 71-year-old Filipino skipper and his eight Filipino crewmen were rescued after a South Korean passenger cargo vessel ran aground near Los Frailes Island off  Cavite on Christmas Eve.

The Coast Guard identified the nine crewmen of M/V Sea Lord III as Capt. Warlito Ordinario, Chief Officer Remegio Mayordomo, 65; Chief Engineer Hilario Basan, 61; Second Engineer Lorenzo Bughao, 58; electrician Armando Taay, 66; able seamen Rolando Robles, 37, and Charlie Umali, 31; oilers Rodolfo Losaria Jr., 49, and Joel Lunzaga, 60.

Information reaching Coast Guard headquarters showed that the Sea Lord was maneuvering toward Manila Bay at around 8 a.m. Wednesday when it ran aground some 1,000 meters from Los Frailes after encountering steering power problems.

The Sea Lord had come from Busan, South Korea. It is reportedly listing on its port (left) side by 40-60 degrees.

The Coast Guard had received a call that the   ship was trapped in a shallow part of the water.

Three coast guardsmen from Olongapo Station took the motor tugboat Lidagat belonging to Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. and proceeded to the site of the grounding.

However, strong winds and water current made it difficult for them to get close to the Sea Lord.

They then used a motorized fishing boat to rescue the nine crewmen.

The Coast Guard was able to convince skipper Ordinario to abandon ship.

By 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, the rescue team and the nine crewmen were on their way to the Rivera Pier.

The nine crewmen were first taken to the Malayan Towage office before they were brought to the Coast Guard’s Olongapo Station.

The maritime incident also created holes in the keel, lower accommodation and at the cofferdam tank fore and aft, but so far no oil spill has been reported.

The Coast Guard continues to monitor the situation of the passenger cargo ship.