Fisherman rescued after clinging 15 hours to capsized boat

A fisherman clung to his capsized boat for 15 hours off the coast of Almargo Island, Samar before he was rescued by crew of a local ferry on Sunday, August 1.

Vicente Tulod, 58, left Sto Niño Island, also in the same province, onboard his motorized banca (small wooden boat) on Saturday, July 31, around 3 pm. 

The distance between the two islands is only twelve kilometers. But Tulod’s small banca was soon battered by big waves, throwing the fisherman overboard, said the Philippine Coast Guard (PSG) in Matnog, Sorsogon, where his rescuers brought him.

The PSG report said Tulod clung to the bottom part of his overturned banca as waves continued to lash at him.

Then, after sunrise, he saw a ship in the distance. Tulod signaled for help to get the crew’s attention.

Crew members aboard Lite Ferry 29, a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) ship en route to Matnog port, saw him around 6 am and got close enough to throw him a ladder to get aboard the ship.

Aside from clothing and food, the crew and passengers on the vessel also donated money to Tulod.

“He is now secured with [PSG] Matnog. For the friends and family of Vicente Tulod, no need to worry, he is now safe,” Lite Shipping Corporation said in a Facebook post.

PCG Matnog escorted him to his home because he could not remember any of his family members’ contact number.“[We] advised Vicente Tulod not to venture out of the sea during bad weather (conditions) and advised him to register his motorized banca at PCG and Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO) in his locality,” PCG Matnog said. –Rappler.com