2 Chinese fishermen found dead, 2 others rescued off Palawan

Two Chinese fishermen were found dead while their two other companions were rescued in Palawan waters after their life raft drifted toward West Palawan due to rough seas, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday, August 7.

The PCG said in a post on its official Facebook page that its Brooke’s Point station received a report on late Thursday afternoon, August 5, prompting them to deploy a search and rescue team, along with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Bataraza, to Barangay Canipaan in Rizal town.

In Barangay Canipaan, local fisherman Mario Mabuhay informed them that he saw four fishermen on board a life raft while he was fishing about five kilometers from the shores of his village, and that when he approached the boat, he saw two of the fishermen dead.

In a progress report released early Saturday afternoon, the PCG said Mabuhay towed the life raft to shore and contacted authorities for help.

The PCG identified the survivors as 40-year-old Fu Wanke and 39-year-old Lu Yunian, both from Hainan, China. They were brought to a hospital for medical attention.

The fatalities were identified as Li Bang Lai and Qin Tong. Their remains had been brought to a funeral home for proper disposition.

Sea mishap

The PCG said that according to the survivors, there were five people in their group and that they departed Hainan on board their fishing vessel on July 9.

“While fishing, they encountered unfavorable weather and sea condition, prompting them to launch their life raft and abandon their fishing vessel,” the PCG said.

The survivors said that one of their companions, Fu Wan Sheng, was swimming toward the life raft that held the four other fishermen but he encountered huge waves and got separated from the group.

The survivors said Li died of a serious head injury as he got hit by debris from their fishing vessel, while Qin drowned.

The PCG said their personnel at Sub-Station Rio Tuba and members of the Philippine Marines are monitoring the condition of the survivors while conducting an investigation into the incident. – Rappler.com