PAUSE. The search team joined by Philippine Navy personnel in the underwater search for the missing helicopter in the seawater of Balabac, Palawan. The search is temporarily suspended as the team awaits new underwater equipment. (Photo courtesy of PAMAS)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – The search for the missing “Yellow Bee” Alouette helicopter of the Philippine Adventist Mission Aviation Services (PAMAS) is on hold while authorities wait for the arrival of new underwater equipment.
Coast Guard District (CGD)-Palawan chief Capt. Dennis Labay on Friday said PAMAS is looking for new equipment because the side scan sonar imaging system they first commissioned failed to work properly.
He said the equipment was deployed three times with no significant result due to the strong current.
“According to the team, the undercurrent in the suspected crash site is strong, that’s why the sonar cannot pick up anything. They said it seems like there is a stream in the specific area where the chopper is suspected to have crashed,” Labay said in a telephone interview.
“But when they tried in another location, the sonar works fine so they concluded that due to the strong current, they can’t find anything,” he added.
Labay said although the operation is suspended, coast guard and Philippine Navy vessels are still on standby in the area to extend assistance to PAMAS.
However, he could not say when the search operation would resume as "it will depend on PAMAS when the new equipment arrives, which apparently will come from the US."
Labay noted that because two of the missing passengers of the helicopter are American citizens, the US Embassy has been extending assistance in the search and rescue operation.
“During the early stage of the operation, they have also sent aircraft to assist in the aerial search in the area. Right now, however, the aerial search has been terminated because that is only good for the first few days of the incident considering that the suspected crash site is in the sea,” he said.
The helicopter which was being used by PAMAS as an air ambulance went missing on March 1 while on its way to Brooke's Point, Palawan after picking up a patient in Barangay Mangsee in Balabac town of the same province.
Aboard were its pilot, Capt. Daniel Lui, nurse Janelle Adler, Kayrun Nesa Sahibad, the patient, and her relatives Nastru Sahibad and Sug Hamja. (Genesis Medina/PNA)
