Nineteen passengers were rescued after a motorboat sank about 700 meters from Punta Engaño Port in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, at 4:12 a.m. Nov. 3.
According to an initial report, the passengers, who were relatives from Cebu City and Mandaue City, were returning to Cebu after observing All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day when the vessel experienced engine trouble.
Water entered the motorboat, eventually causing it to sink.
Crew members of a passenger ferry immediately rescued the passengers in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). They were brought to Hilton Wharf in Punta Engaño.
The rescued passengers included three children, one senior citizen and 15 adults.
The Lapu-Lapu City Rescue Team conducted immediate medical assessments and provided food and other necessities before arranging their return to their respective homes.
Meanwhile, the PCG is continuing its investigation into the incident and has interviewed the motorboat’s 57-year-old captain.
The captain said the vessel departed from Jagoliao Island in Getafe, Bohol, and was heading toward Pasil, Cebu, when the incident occurred.
Authorities have yet to provide further details about the investigation.
