The Philippine News Agency reports that three Filipino fishermen who had been adrift for days in the South China Sea were rescued by the crew of a US Navy ship on the first day of the new year.
The Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez was underway in the South China Sea when her crew spotted a small boat in distress at around 12:45 local time on Thursday, January 1.
Chavez's crew immediately deployed a rigid inflatable boat to retrieve the three individuals on the distressed fishing vessel.
The rescued fishermen were then brought aboard Chavez, where they were assessed by the ship's embarked medical personnel. No injuries have been reported.
The navy crew later notified Philippine authorities about the rescue. Work is now underway to ensure that the fishermen are reunited with their families.
The fishermen recounted that their boat's engine became flooded on Sunday, December 28, resulting in power loss. They then survived on only their food and water rations until their rescue four days later.
The fishermen were all from Pangasinan province, from where they had sailed out to sea to conduct fishing activities the day before their boat suffered engine trouble.