PCG helps search for 5 tourists on missing yacht

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday sent out teams to search for four foreigners and a Filipino on a yacht that went missing in the waters off Northern Luzon during a storm last week.

PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo said teams were dispatched to search for M/Y Europa, whose passengers include Britons Robin Wyatt and Brian Turner, Canadian Harry Taylor, American Alan Lundy and Rudulph Balloloz.

“Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane is being used to conduct an aerial search for the missing yacht M/Y Europa. Their mission is to search over Manila to Laoag in Ilocos Norte,” Balilo said.

As this developed, the PCG official said a body was spotted floating at around 1 p.m. yesterday near the area where the yacht was last detected.

Balilo could not confirm whether the person, who appeared to be wearing an orange life vest, was dead or merely unconscious, or if he was one of the occupants of the yacht.

He said MCS (monitoring, control and surveillance) vessels were also dispatched to look for the missing yacht, reportedly owned by Wyatt.

The yacht was described to have a dark blue hull with two sails and two small life rafts.

The maritime agency issued a notice to mariners (Notam) informing all vessels plying in the area to be on the lookout for M/Y Europa.

Based on information received by the PCG, the yacht activated its emergency position indicating radiobeacon that transmitted signals of its location.

“The yacht’s last known location was 207 nautical miles west of Laoag,” Balilo said.

Initial information received by the PCG headquarters showed the yacht departed from Clear Water Bay in Hong Kong for Vigan, Ilocos Sur before noon of Oct. 2 .

Balilo said they are eyeing the possibility the boat was damaged during the storm.