2 foreigners rescued near Tubbataha

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued on Thursday two foreigners – an American and a Palauan – whose yacht ran aground more than 40 nautical miles away from Tubbataha Reef in Palawan.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo identified those rescued as 60-year-old Linda Mckeever, the American captain of S/V Creola, and her Palauan crewman, 47-year-old Rene Menz.

Balilo said the PCG Palawan District is now coordinating with the United States embassy for the “disposition of the two survivors.”

Balilo clarified that the S/V Creola was not stuck within the marine sanctuary in Tubbataha Reef, but in Basterra Reef, which is 46 nautical miles southeast of the South Islet of the Tubbataha Reef.

As of press time yesterday, Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, PCG Palawan District commander, said they have no exact date and time when the boat actually ran aground. They just received information from the US Coast Guard that a boat was in distress in Basterra Reef, he said.

“It appeared that the sailing vessel came from Palau and was on its way to Kudat, Borneo when it ran aground in the Basterra Reef which is submerged,” Evangelista said.

Upon receiving the information, Evangelista dispatched the PCG search and rescue ship BRP Romblon on Thursday morning. 

When the BRP Romblon arrived at the site, the two foreigners were about to board a fishing boat, but the PCG personnel escorted them to board the search and rescue vessel. They then returned to S/V Creola so they could retrieve some of their belongings.

The BRP Romblon, with Mckeever and Menz on board, arrived at the Puerto Princesa City port in Palawan before dawn yesterday.

Evangelista said the two foreigners were in good physical condition, except that Mckeever reportedly sustained a minor abrasion on the wrist.

“As for the yacht, it remains aground. But the owner reportedly wanted to retrieve it and one way to do it is to hire a salvaging firm or maybe they could wait for the high tide to try to remove it from the reef,” he said.