Search still on for 8 missing fishermen

BOLINAO, Pangasinan — Rescuers are still searching for eight fishermen here who failed to return home after they went fishing nine days ago, authorities said.

The men left this town at dawn of Dec. 12 on a fishing trip that was expected to take five to six days, said Chief Petty Officer Francisco Campos, assistant Coast Guard commander in this province.

Campos said the weather was fine when the men set off, but that waves and winds became much stronger in the following days.

He said it was still possible that the men sought shelter somewhere, or were rescued by another ship.

Chief Inspector Benjamin Ocumen, municipal police chief, identified seven of the missing fishermen as cousins Julio Caballero Eneva, 35; Leonardo Caballero Conde, 24; Roden Caballero Carbillion, 24; Darwin Celeste Caballero, 22; and William Caasi Cabando, 20; and Amado Caasi Cabardo, 27; and a certain Eling.

Ocumen said Mayor Jesus Celeste has requested assistance from the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

An Air Force Huey helicopter, manned by pilot Capt. Hilario Pine and co-pilot Lt. Joseph Madarang, joined Navy divers in the search and rescue last Dec. 17 but the operation yielded nothing.

Another search followed two days later but it also had negative results.

Ocumen said authorities were not giving up, adding that Celeste was planning to request for an aircraft to scour the Lingayen Gulf.

He said huge waves were hampering the search and rescue. From November to January, he said, fishermen don’t normally go out to sea because of such huge waves, resulting in higher fish prices during the period. — With Cesar Ramirez and wire reports