6 rescued as tugboat sinks in Pasig River

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued yesterday six crewmembers of a tugboat that sank along the Makati City stretch of the Pasig River.

The PCG said the M/T Josefa III, owned by Ecology Marine Transport Corp., was towing another tugboat, the M/T Toni Dominique, when its starboard towing line broke due to the strong currents. The Josefa III, bound to the other tugboat by a towing line only on one side, then overturned.

At around 6:50 a.m., the PCG received the report that the Josefa III sank, and dispatched PCG personnel on a rubber boat to rescue the tugboat’s crew.

As of press time, the PCG has not received information on how deep the tugboat sank and if the vessel could pose a danger to other vessels in the area. The PCG installed floating markets around the site where the tugboat sank.       – Evelyn Macairan