One person was killed after a passenger launch capsized off the coast of Surigao del Norte province in the southern Philippines on Sunday, January 18.
The unidentified vessel was underway off Surigao City when it encountered rough sea conditions on the morning (local time) of Sunday. The launch then overturned and all 12 of its occupants were thrown overboard.
Philippine Coast Guard boat crews immediately deployed to the area upon learning of the incident.
The coast guard personnel and the crews of some Good Samaritan boats later pulled 11 survivors out of the water near the overturned vessel.
One passenger, identified as a 47-year-old woman, was not found until much later that same day. She was pronounced deceased shortly after being brought to hospital.
Local news outlet GMA said the boat's captain was taken into custody but was eventually released after the survivors decided not to file charges against him.
The incident is one of three vessel capsizings that occurred in southern Philippine waters within a 48-hour period earlier this week as well as the only one of the three with a confirmed fatality.
On Monday, January 19, a passenger launch sank off Tawi-Tawi province and the recreational dive boat Amejara went missing in the Davao Gulf off Davao Occidental province. All 12 people on the launch were eventually rescued while only one survivor has so far been reported among the 15 individuals who were on the dive boat when it capsized.
The coast guard said it is continuing its search for the dive boat's missing passengers and crew. As of Wednesday, January 21, 24 vessels and three aircraft from various local agencies including the coast guard, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force have been committed to the search.
