A father and son were fortunate to survive after their fishing boat was hit by an unidentified vessel past 9 p.m. on October 15, 12 nautical miles northeast of Canigaran Beach in Puerto Princesa City.
The father and son aboard the damaged boat were identified as Jerwin Rosel, 51, and his son, Gemuel Rosel, 23, both residents of Golden Valley, Barangay Sicsican.
According to Jerwin, they were resting in the area before heading out to sea when they were struck by an outbound vessel.
“Tulog kami, paggising ko, nandiyan na ang barko sa harap. Hindi ko na napaandar ang makina kasi mababangga na kami,” he said.
“Parang napansin kami kasi pagbangga, lumiko sila nang kaunti. Akala ko nga babalik sa amin, pero dumiretso na papalayo,” Jerwin added.
The incident happened so suddenly that they were unable to identify the vessel. Fortunately, Gemuel was able to jump, while Jerwin was left stunned at the front of the boat, suffering only minor scrapes on his side.
They were also fortunate to receive help from a nearby boat.
“May kasama kaming bangka. Muntik na rin silang mabangga pero gumilid na lang sila sa kabila,” he said.
Jerwin clarified that the area where they were anchored is not a designated route for vessels, and it is usually a spot where fishing boats gather, which is why he is puzzled as to why the vessel passed through that area.
Meanwhile, at around 6 a.m. this morning, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) towed their boat, Jurrelyn, to their station in Puerto Bay.
The PCG will conduct an investigation to identify the vessel involved and determine if it has any responsibility for the alleged collision with MBCA Jurrelyn.
According to the owner of the boat, the damages from the incident are estimated to be around ₱250,000.
