PCG rescues critically ill Japanese crewman

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued a critically ill Japanese crewman of a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship off the high seas of Lubang Island in Mindoro Tuesday.

PCG information officer Lt. Arman Balilo said Naomi Ko, 46, crewman of MV New Hirotsuki is presently under observation at the Manila Doctors Hospital. Balilo said the still unconscious patient suffers from blood poisoning with cerebral infraction as a result of severe gastro enteritis.

The PCG received Tuesday fax messages from the Japan Coast Guard and Lacerta Shipping Agencies, Inc., manning agent of MV New Hirotsuki, requesting immediate evacuation assistance for the critically ill Japanese crewman who required medical attention.

The PCG’s search and rescue vessel, the BRP EDSA Dos, rendezvoused with MV New Hirotsuki off the seas of Mindoro and picked up the patient escorted by PCG’s medical personnel.

Balilo said the patient could not be airlifted due to several medical apparatus attached to his body. The BRP EDSA Dos arrived in Manila at 8 a.m. yesterday and the patient was immediately rushed to the hospital.

The MV New Hirotsuki is a refrigerated cargo vessel with five Japanese and 17 Filipino crewmen. It left Thailand bound for Japan when the patient contracted the illness.

The PCG had just completed last month its training program dubbed "JICA-Underwater Search and Rescue Course," with the Japanese Coast Guard acting as trainors. The program is already on its fourth year.

Primarily sponsored by Japan International Coordinating Agency (JICA), the program focuses on underwater operations using scuba apparatus. Each year, three members of Japan’s Special rescue team are sent to the Philippines to conduct training, share different techniques and enhance the technical capabilities of Coast Guard personnel in search and rescue operations.

According to Balilo the search and rescue training is the counterpart of the US and the Philippine military "Balikatan" exercises.

Balilo said the training was brought into focus when Coast Guard personnel as well as its other search and rescue vessel, the BRP San Juan, took part in the search and recovery mission of the ill-fated US Chinook helicopter which crashed off the waters of Negros Oriental last week. — Nestor Etolle, AFP