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SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 Nov) – Authorities here have launched a search and rescue operation for five fishermen from this city who went missing after Tropical Depression “Queenie” made landfall Wednesday.
According to Geoffrey Gervo, station commander of Philippine Coast Guard-Surigao, four minor fishermen from the island village of Danawan have been reported missing while a certain Poldo Gede, a fisherman from Barangay Mabua, still could not be found.
The fishermen reportedly went fishing early morning Tuesday and were not able to come back before Queenie swept Surigao City Wednesday.
Gervo said the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy and Surigao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council are already conducting a search and rescue operation for the five fishermen.
Families of the fishermen are now worried as to the fishermen’s whereabouts.
Jake Miranda, a former navy officer and founder of a diving club here, has been calling on nearby vessels navigating along the Bohol Sea-Surigao Straight route since 9 a.m. today.
By 10 a.m. only one vessel – the foreign ship M/V Solid Marine – has so far responded in the search for the missing fishermen, Miranda said.
With better radio equipment from his dive shop, Miranda helped save lives during the September 13 capsizing of M/V Maharlika II, which sunk off Pintuyan, Leyte, as he called on international ships navigating the waters near Surigao to help out in the search.