Survivor of Vietnam ship sinking returns home

MANILA, Philippines - It was a bittersweet homecoming for the lone survivor of a cargo ship that sank off Vietnam as it sailed for China from Malaysia.

Angelito Rojas, chief cook of Bulk Jupiter, a resident of Tubungan, Iloilo, is happy he survived the tragedy but mourned the deaths of his fellow crewmembers.

In a press conference arranged by Magsaysay Maritime Corp. Wednesday night, Rojas said he jumped from the ship together with the ship’s captain, Ronel Andrin, when the ship listed on one side.

The bodies of Andrin and third officer Jerome Dinoy were later recovered.

“I could not remember what happened. Everything was so sudden. I did not know what happened to the other crew when I abandoned ship,” Rojas said.

Sixteen other members of the all-Filipino crew remain missing.

Rojas said he heard a distress alarm while having his morning coffee and crewmembers were told to proceed to the life rafts. He said he grabbed a life jacket before he jumped from the ship.

Rojas was adrift for nine hours before he was rescued. He said prayers helped him survive.

A graduate of Western Institute of Technology, the 42-year-old seaman of 20 years has two daughters.