ZAMBOANGA CITY, 21 October 2006 — Four fishermen from the southwestern province of Palawan province were rescued after drifting for 3 days at sea, US and Philippine military officials said yesterday. The four were spotted on Thursday in the vastness of the Sulu Sea by a US Marine helicopter taking part in a humanitarian mission in the southern Philippines, a US Marine said.
They were then rescued by Marines on board two speedboats and brought yesterday to Zamboanga City.
The Philippine military identified the fishermen as brothers Jimmy, Giovani and Raymond Degracia and Andrew Sumandal, all from the Palawan town of Cuyo, 460 kilometers north of Zamboanga City and 400 km south of Manila. Military doctors examined the fishermen and gave them food. They were to be handed over to social welfare officers.
One of the fisherman said their boat capsized on Monday and later broke in two after being battered by huge waves.
“We drifted into the open sea and for three days we were forced to drink sea water to stay alive. Then we saw a big helicopter in the sky. Later on, US soldiers on rubber boats arrived and rescued us,” Jimmy Degracia said.
“We owe our lives to the US Marines and we will never forget this day,” said Sumandal.
Cpl. David Few of the US Marines said the rescue team, led by Lt. James Santymire, was part of the HSV Swift, a high-speed transport vessel taking part in humanitarian mission in the Philippines.
