Banca flips in Rizal, 3 dead

Three people have been confirmed dead after a motorbanca capsized off the coast of Barangay Navotas in Cardona, Rizal, Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday.

The accident occurred on Tuesday, July 29, while a small motorized banca was en route from Barangay Subay, Cardona to Pililla, Rizal.

The boat was carrying five passengers when it encountered mechanical trouble mid-voyage.

Survivors told authorities that the vessel’s right outrigger boom snapped, causing the vessel to tip over and eventually sink.

Two passengers were immediately rescued by Coast Guard personnel, while search and rescue operations were launched for the three others who went missing.

On 31 July, CGS Rizal reported recovering the first of the three missing bodies, which was later identified by the victim’s brother.

The remaining two victims were found the following day and confirmed by relatives on Friday, 1 August.

All recovered remains have been turned over to the Cardona Municipal Police for proper investigation and disposition.

In a separate incident on July 31, the PCG responded to a distress call involving a half-submerged motorbanca near Higatangan Island in Naval, Biliran.

Despite challenging sea conditions, personnel from CGS Biliran, along with the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement and Response Unit and the Naval Rescue Unit, successfully towed the vessel back to shore with the aid of local responders.

Through combined efforts, the motorbanca was successfully towed back to the shoreline with the help of responding units and concerned residents.