BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – A Facebook Live post could have led to the rescue of 45 boat passengers whose crafts were flipped by strong waves and were left drifting off the coast of Sagay, a city around 80 kilometers north of here.
Fred Cyril Palabrica Ticar, one of the rescued passengers, posted a video SOS he streamed through Facebook around 3pm yesterday, Sunday, 20 March 2022 and gave a running account of his and his fellow passengers situation in the middle of the sea.
Ticar, speaking in Bisaya, made the appeal to viewers for a rescue and gave details of his situation.
The Philippine Coast Guard later revealed that two boats capsized between Molocaboc, an island village about 30 minutes by boat from Vito port of mainland Sagay.
A radio reporter here posted the appeal of Ticar on the group chat created by the Philippine Coast Guard for reporters.
This alerted Coast Guard Auxiliary Lt Dominique Banaga who informed officials about the distress call.
A search and rescue team was immediately dispatched to the area but a private fishing boat reportedly owned by a Sagay resident was able to pass by and rescue the 45 passengers of the capsized boats.
The Sagay City DRRMO said on its Facebook page said they are members of the Negros Brotherhood Riders Club.
Earlier yesterday, 10 people were also saved in a separate incident off the coast of Village 6 in San Carlos City when their motorized banca was also flipped by strong waves.