Ma, 2-yr-old baby die after "falling off" ship

BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines  — A former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) mother died after she jumped off a moving sea vessel to save her daughter who reportedly fell into the sea at the boundary of Bacolod and Talisay cities on Friday.

Lieutenant Commander Dominador Senador, chief of the Philippine Coast Guard-Bacolod, yesterday identified the casualties as Michelle Tiamsing, 30, and her daughter Joemcelle, 2, both residents of Ilog town in Negros Occidental.

Reports said the fatalities were on board M/V St. Joseph the Worker owned by the Negros Navigation that was bound for Manila when the incident happened.

Senador said the management of Negros Navigation had informed them that two of their passengers fell from the vessel at about 2.7 nautical miles off the shorelines of Bacolod and Talisay.

He said it took about 30 minutes before rescuers retrieved the bodies that were immediately brought to a funeral home in Bacolod.

A 17-year-old witness, whose name was not disclosed, told the police and the Coast Guard that she saw Tiamsing carrying the child in her arms near the edge of the vessel.

She also said that some passengers told Tiamsing to stay away from the edge but she did not listen. Later they heard Tiamsing shouting that the child had fallen to the sea.

While the crew of the ship was preparing to rescue the child, Tiamsing suddenly jumped into the sea, the witness added.