MANILA, Philippines — The still-missing captain of the ill-fated cargo ship that capsized off Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal instructed survivors to jump ship before it sank, an act the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) called “heroism.”
This account of Captain Elimar Jucal’s instructions was relayed by the 15 survivors of the sunken M/V Devon Bay, who were brought to Manila by the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which arrived at port early Monday.
“The other crew jumped based on the captain’s instruction to abandon the ship,” said Teresa Magbanua captain Alvin Dalagea in an interview with reporters. “He was the last to get out of the ship.”
“The captain was the last to leave before it sank,” Dalagea added. “After that, they did not see him again.”
Jucal is among the four Devon Bay crew members still missing, while the bodies of two deceased crew members were also brought aboard the Teresa Magbanua.
READ: PCG takes custody of 15 survivors, 2 deceased crew from M/V Devon Bay
Inspiration
PCG chief Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan expressed optimism that Captain Jucal could still be found, as the armed service’s BRP Cape San Agustin and the PCG Islander aircraft remain deployed in search and rescue operations for Jucal and three other missing crew members.
Gavan also hailed Jucal’s “heroism,” calling it “an inspiration to every marine.”
“I want to highlight the heroism of the captain,” he said. “He did not neglect his fellow crew members.”
“It is basic that the captain should be the last to leave his ship,” Gavan added. “And he demonstrated this as expected.”
READ: PCG thanks China for crew rescue, continues search for missing
Thanks to their split-second decision, the survivors were rescued by the China Coast Guard (CCG) off Panatag Shoal.
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They were then received during a turnover operation conducted between the PCG and CCG approximately 311 kilometers west of Tambobong, Pangasinan. /mcm
