Ma, 2 kids drown as pumpboat sinks off Roxas City
A 32 year-old mother and her two young boys aged 6 and 2 were confirmed to have died when a pumpboat hired to ferry 20 stranded passengers in Masbate capsized off Roxas City Wednesday afternoon.
One teener remains missing while twenty survivors who were brought to the custody of the Roxas City Coast Guard have now been fully accounted for. Four of the survivors were crew members including the 'captain,' 26 year-old Renante Romano, his brother Rene and pal, Andy Regarsa.
Also in stable condition and cleared to go home by the Roxas City Coast Guard were Ilonggo passengers 20 year-old Louella Siason of Tigbauan, Iloilo who is four months pregnant, her husband 23 year-old Elmer Horaque, 19 year-old Raymond Moray of Botong, Oton, 41 year-old Roganciano Cortez of Carles, Iloilo, 65 year-old Moody Asuero and her 3 year-old granddaughter Jela Asuero of Dumangas, Iloilo.
In a report, The News Today (TNT) gathered that the incident occurred hours after the ill-fated pumpboat reached open sea within the vicinity of Olotayan and Ponta Cogon off Roxas City.
The fatalities were identified by authorities as Amy Osorio and children James and Kim Ryan of Anini-y, Antique.
Reached by Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Romano said trouble began when the pumpboat's cruise joint broke and the propeller fell off. He insisted that all was well prior to the trip though yet admitted that it was to be his first time to ferry passengers with his usual load of dried fish. Romano disclosed that it was a certain "Tartar" who hired his services with "Tartar's" ferry boat unable to do the voyage due to engine trouble.
And his pumpboat was equipped with life jackets and not overloaded, he further explained, saying what occurred was a freak accident and that he did everything to secure the passengers and their belongings.
Romano said he even ordered everybody to put on the life jackets and for his three crew men to focus on the five children on board and the elderly. He recalled seeing Osorio holding on to her two young boys while another unidentified male tried to help. In the confusion and with the strong waves, Romano lost sight of the trio minutes thereafter.
Survivor Siason in her own account later told Bombo Radyo that the two Osorio kids actually managed to hang on to her and her husband and another female survivor. They were trying to swim to shore when yet another wave came in and separated them from the children.
Similar struggle of survival for 65 year-old Asuero who said she held on to her 3 year-old granddaughter while praying to be rescued and saved. Every time a wave would hit them, she would tell her grand daughter to hold on tightly. A crew managed to help her and brought Jela to shore as she stayed behind the wrecked pumpboat saying she was too weak to move. The crew man came back for her and swam with her to safety as she then begged to responding locals to give her dry clothes.
Asuero in her radio interview thanked the Beloso family in the area who helped her upon reaching shore and facilitated her trip to the Coast Guard where she met her grand daughter. None of the survivors suffered any injuries as a result of the accident.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident while it was not immediately clear who would be charged on the incident.