Five people were rescued after their motorboat became partially submerged in the vicinity waters off Calandagan Island, Araceli, Palawan, on the evening of 5 August 2026.

According to Coast Guard Station North Central Palawan, the incident was reported at about 06:16PM of 5 August, prompting the immediate activation of Search and Rescue (SAR) operations through the coordinated efforts of the Coast Guard COP Calandagan and local Barangay Officials.

At around 07:55PM, the SAR Team located the distressed motorbanca approximately 3.6 nautical miles southeast of Calandagan Island with five passengers onboard.

Investigation revealed that the group was enroute to Brgy. Bohol, Dumaran, Palawan, to attend the burial of a family member when they encountered rough seas. The deteriorated condition of the motorbanca caused structural damage to it's bow, allowing seawater to enter and resulting in the vessel's partial submersion.

The motorbanca was successfully towed to the shoreline of Calandagan Island, where the survivors were assessed by Medical Health Office personnel and found to be in good health.