Adrift for 5 days, 19 men finally safe

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Coast Guard has rescued eight crewmen and 11 passengers of a motor launch which had been adrift for five days in the Celebes Sea off Tawi-Tawi, authorities said.

The 19 people aboard M/L Radia were spotted last Monday near Taha Island, Coast Guard district commander Epifanio Navarro said.

Navarro said they were rescued after a passing fishing vessel sighted them and reported this to Taganak Vice Mayor Orlando Tan.

The motor launch left Taganak Island last Jan. 28 bound for Tawi-Tawi.

Meanwhile, authorities are also searching for another motor launch, M/L Farhana, which went missing after it also left Taganak Island last Jan. 28. It has six crewmembers and was carrying bananas. — Roel Pareño