None of the passengers were hurt
A cargo pumpboat, carrying 27 people from a small island in Bohol, capsized Sunday just off the shores of Lapu-Lapu City after a tourist boat accidentally rammed it.
None of the passengers were hurt. Fifteen of them were below 18 years old.
They were on board M/B Presh Clent John on their way to Cebu from Pandanon Island in Getafe, Bohol.
Their boat collided with a tourist pumpboat of the Island Banca Cruises (IBC) in Hilutungan Channel at 10:30 a.m.
IBC chief executive officer Jay Aldeguer said he has asked the crew to submit an incident report and that if needed he would extend help to those affected.
He said the IBC crew is trained in seafaring, and that what happened was an accident.
Presh Clent John, owned by Rolando Suan, left Pandanon Island at 9 a.m.
Suan, in an interview, said he decided to allow passengers in the cargo boat because there were no more available passenger pumpboats bound for Cebu from Pandanon.
Most of the passengers of Presh Clent John came from a fiesta in Pandanon last Saturday.
Suan said at 10:30 a.m. passing Olango Island, he saw the IBC pumpboat headed towards his boat.
The IBC boat had more than 17 passengers on board and was bound for the islets in Mactan.
Seeing the IBC boat coming towards his boat, he slowed down.
His passengers, seeing the direction of the IBC boat, waved to warn the IBC crew.
But the next thing they saw was the IBC boat ramming theirs and thereby cutting the bow of their boat.
Some of the passengers jumped into the water. Some asked for help from the IBC crew.
The passengers of the IBC boat threw lifejackets at them.
Verly Pungcol, a passenger of Presh Clent John, had with him his five children. He made sure all of them were rescued and were safe.
The passengers were brought to Marigondon where the maritime police waited for them so they could file an incident report.
Suan and some of his passengers said they expected to be compensated for the loss of or damage to their belongings.
Source: Sun Star