CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte (Sept. 26) – A sickly Filipino chief engineer aboard his ship was rescued by elements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) based here because he complained of difficulty of breathing.
Senior Petty Officer Ernesto Floresca, head of PCG here, identified the victim as Ebert Hilay of Cebu and chief engineer of MV Triumph, a South Korea vessel.
Floresca said that the victim had been sick for three days aboard the ship when the PCG received SOS from the Korean vessel.
PCG troopers quickly boarded the ship and rescued the victim who was immediately rushed to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City. He is now recuperating under medical treatment.
The vessel, with 16 Filipino crew members, is classified as a general cargo ship and was heading to Limay, Bataan when the incident occurred. (Theo S. Guiang)
