Coast Guard urges owner to remove sunken cargo vessel off Boracay

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Caticlan office urged the owner of LCT Bato Twin to immediately salvage  the ill-fated cargo vessel. It sank on November 4 near Boracay Island and remains a potential threat to traversing pumpboats and ships. 

photo Coast Guard

LCT Bato Twin departed Sambiray Port in mainland Malay at around 9 a.m. and was on its way to Manoc-Manoc cargo port in Boracay Island when it encountered big waves.

The cargo vessel took in sea water and sank about 500 meters away from the shoreline of mainland Malay.

Lt. Commandeer Joe Luviz Mercurio said “no signs of oil spill from the sunken cargo vessel were observed during the close monitoring by PCG teams.”

“Under investigation pa rin ang incident. Kailangang magcoordinate ang management ng LCT Bato Twin para masalvage kaagad at maiwasan ang oil spill. Posible na maging hazard ang cargo vessel sa mga dumadaang barko lalo na pag low tide, baka madisgrasya pa pag masagi ang ilalim ng barko,” he said on Tuesday, November 20.

Mercurio said they put a coy marker in the incident area to minimize hazards to ships or motorized pumpboats travelling to Boracay or Mindoro.

“Nasa lalim na 30 feet ang cargo vessel ayon sa underwater inspection natin. Dapat may PCG accredited salvor to remove the wreck sa lugar,” he stressed.

During the incident, the cargo vessel loaded with 50 tons of sand and gravel tried to manuever towards Sambiray port, but, the efforts of crew members yielded negative results.

Thirteen crews including the skipper rescued by responding PCG rescue teams were brought to a local hospital in Barangay Motag.

  

“Nag-take in ng water ang front area ng barge dahil sa biglang paglakas ng alon at hangin kahit walang weather disturbance. Nag-attempt sila to dock sa Manoc-Manoc to unload ang dalang buhangin kaso  malakas ang agos,” Mercurio said.

PCG personnel, he added, are ready to contain and clean up an oil spill scenario.

“Noong lumubog ang barge, we have oil spill response teams to determine the possibility of oil spill. So far, no sign of oil leaks coming out of the vessel,” Mercurio said.