PCG monitoring beached cargo ship

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is monitoring a cargo vessel that ran aground after it nearly hit a fishing boat in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro.

The PCG District Southern Tagalog yesterday said the LCT Felicity 8 was stuck some 200 meters away from the shore of Barangay Tilik.

The vessel was headed to the port of Tilik from Cabangan in Zambales when it figured in a near-collision with a fishing boat on Sept. 15.

To refloat the Felicity 8, the PCG instructed the crewmembers to drop anchor and reduce the cargo to lighten the vessel.

Following an inspection, members of the PCG Sub-station Lubang reported that the vessel’s bow was stuck and no sign of an oil spill was spotted.

The PCG asked the captain of motor vessel Banton Pearl and fishing boat Orene to tow the Felicity 8 to deeper waters, but they failed.

A diver hired by the PCG to inspect the hull of the ship for possible water leakage found the opposite side of the port beam had flattened.

A port beam is the widest part on the left side of any vessel.

The PCG advised the skipper to renew the vessel’s documents, including the safety and seaworthiness certification.

As a safety precaution, fishermen were told to avoid fishing near the Felicity 8.