BALER, Aurora – A fisherman from the municipality of Dinalungan, this province, was found alive floating at sea on Friday after going missing for a week.
Edgar Querijero, 47, was found some 18 nautical miles off Dilasag town, Dinalungan police chief Capt. Regan Lopez said in an interview.
A resident of Barangay Mapalad, Querijero failed to return after venturing into the sea on Aug. 30.
He was reported missing by his wife on Sept. 3 at the height of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng.
Another fisherman, John Carlo Montessa of Sitio Cemento, Barangay Zabali, Baler town, reported to the village chief of Dilasag, where he went to catch fish, that he had seen a man on top of an overturned motorboat in the waters off Barangay Diniog around 6:30 a.m. Friday.
Immediately, a joint search and rescue team was deployed to the site by the Dinalungan Municipal Police Station, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of the two towns, 2nd Company Provincial Mobile Force Company, Bureau of Fire Protection of Dinalungan and Dilasag, Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bantay Dagat of Dinalungan and Dilasag.
Querijero was then brought to the Dilasag Rural Health Unit for medical attention.
“Querijero was weak since he did not eat for several days. His budget for meals for fishing was until Sept. 2 only. We are very thankful that he was still alive and now finally with his family,” Lopez said. (PNA)