Yacht with 2 Americans grounded in Tubbataha

MANILA, Philippines — A yacht skidded in protected marine sanctuary Tubbataha Reef in Palawan on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a radio report.

Spokesman Arman Balilio said Friday that the vessel with two Americans on board was grounded in Tubbataha's Basterra Reef dive site.

Coast Guard members have rescued the foreigners while the agency has started an investigation into the incident.

The Tubbataha Reef is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its high density of marine and bird species.

US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian ran aground in Tubbataha on January 2010 supposedly due to navigational errors. It damaged 2,345.67 square meters of the reef.

The ship, meanwhile, was dismantled at the site and the US government was penalized P24,000 per square meter.

Read: Tubbataha agency breaks protocol, demands US payout

Chinese fishing vessel F/V Min Long Yu also got stranded in the reef three months after the USS Guardian incident. The crew members were suspected of illegal fishing and were arrested.