Eight rescued following tug sinking off Occidental Mindoro, Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed the successful rescue of all eight crewmembers of a tug that sank off Occidental Mindoro province on Saturday, October 8.

The tug Betheva II was en route from Manila to Rio Tuba in Palawan province when it was struck by a large wave that then resulted in flooding in the engine room at around 14:30 local time on Saturday.

The vessel sank shortly afterwards off Occidental Mindoro’s Golo Island.

The tug’s captain and four other individuals were picked up out of the water within minutes by the crew of a Good Samaritan vessel.

The three remaining crewmen were initially declared missing. They were safely rescued later in the day by residents of a coastal community located near the incident site.

The coast guard reported that all eight of Betheva II‘s crew are in stable condition.