MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Four missing fishermen from Infanta town, Pangasinan have been rescued in Candelaria town, Zambales on Thursday, seven days after they went fishing in the West Philippine Sea.
In a phone interview, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Pangasinan station head Commander Alexander Corpuz said Candelaria facilitated the return of the fishermen to Infanta.
“They are on their way to Infanta, assisted by the Mayor (Byron Jones Edquilang),” he said, adding that authorities have yet to hear from the fishermen details of their ordeal.
The fishermen have been identified as Edgar Bejar, 44; Jake Bejar, 19, both of Barangay Cato, Infanta, Pangasinan; Melchor Molato, 26, of Barangay Bayambang, Infanta, Pangasinan; and Arnel Awanan, 46, of Barangay Batang, Infanta, Pangasinan.
Corpuz said personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday launched an aerial inspection within the area of the last known location of the fishermen based on the last monitored global positioning system (GPS) of their motorized boat.
He said there was no sighting of the fishermen in the area, thus they have coordinated with the PCG’s national headquarters for the dispatch of search and rescue vessels and an aerial asset to conduct similar search and rescue.
He said the area where the fishermen were last monitored based on GPS is at around 80 nautical miles or about 150 kilometers from the shoreline.
PCG received the report about the missing fishermen last Tuesday from Edgar Bejar’s wife after the group did not return last Sunday since sailing last Nov. 9.
The fishermen were supposed to go to their Payao, a fish aggregating device placed some 18 nautical miles from shoreline, to gather fish. (PNA)
