Search, rescue and retrieval teams from the Philippine Coast Guard continued to dive into the sunken FB St. Peter the Fishermen II in search of its two crewmen still missing following the retrieval of six bodies.
The fishing boat, with its nine crewmen, including the captain, sank on Friday last week in the waters between Tanguingui Island in Northern Cebu and Gigantes Island in Iloilo. It was believed that the crewmen went down along with the boat.
Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said that two bodies—that of sonar operator Norberto Parlotzo and Piscador Rommel Engle—were recovered by local divers from Bantayan, Cebu on Saturday and have been turned over to their family members.
He said that on Sunday, teams from the Coast Guard Special Operations Unit—Western Visayas retrieved the bodies of Piscador Julit Salvo and Steersman Victor Calvo from the sunken boat before the diving operations were temporarily terminated at 3 p. m.
However, about three hours later search and rescue teams from the Coast Guard Sub-Stations Estancia and Carles SAR retrieved an unidentified floating body at the sunken site. It was later identified as that of Chief Engineer Hermoño Ronamo.
Balilo said that at past 9 a.m. on Monday, divers from the Coast Guard Special Operations Unit – Western Visayas recovered another body from the sunken boat and it was later identified as that of boat Captain Frankie Chavez.
More than two hours later, the same team of divers retrieved the body of Steersman Renante Forsuelo.
All of the crewmen are from Negros provinces.
Balilo said only two crewmen remained missing and they are the subjects of the continuing search, rescue and retrieval operations of the Coast Guard.
They were identified as Cook Julian Dungog and Third Engineer Manuel Auditor.