SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 Nov) – Four of five fishermen in this city who were reported missing since Tropical Depression “Queenie” made landfall Wednesday were found alive in Southern Leyte on Thursday evening.
The survivors were identified as Ednelyn Aparre, 26; Mike Aparre, 28; Aljun Ching, 24; and Edne Ching, 28 – all from the island village of Danaoan.
The four went fishing off the coast of the said village early morning Wednesday but were not able to return immediately due to the strong winds and rough seas they encountered.
According to Nards Go, head of Quick Action Response Team, the four were found by residents around 8 p.
m. Thursday near Cabulihan in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte, some 30 nautical miles west-southwest from their home village here.
The four fishermen, he said, are now reunited with their families in Danaoan.
But one fisherman remains missing.
According to Geoffrey Gervo, station commander of Philippine Coast Guard-Surigao, a certain Poldo Gede, a fisherman from Barangay Mabua, still could not be found since he went to sea Tuesday morning.
Poldo reportedly went fishing early morning but was 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 through the Quick Action and Response Team are still conducting a search for the missing fisherman.
