Coast Guard rescues ship captain from Scotland in Cebu

April 19, 2019

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued a ship captain from Scotland off the waters of Cebu on Thursday.

Capt. Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman,. said personnel of BRP Suluan Cebu ( MRRV 4406) evacuated injured Scottish sailing boat skipper Ronald Cruickshank.

Balilo said Cruickshank, 64, skipper of sailing boat named My Hawkeye, made a distress call at the vicinity of five nautical miles east off Catmon, Cebu requesting for medical assistance due to head and back injuries caused by personal accident.

"MRRV 4406 while on regular patrol at Coast Guard District Central Visayas immediately dispatched Coast Guard response and medical team to the distressed yacht," he said.

"(The) distressed vessel was dead onwater due to derangement in its main machinery and was drifting north towards open waters off the Visayan sea," he added.

Balilo said the distressed sailing boat was towed to Carmen, Danao while Cruikshank was brought to Danao Provincial Hospital for medical attention.

Patrol in the Coast Guard District Central Visayas (CGDV) area of responsibility is part of its initiative of I-Care (Intensified Community Assistance Awareness Response and Enforcement) program to serve maritime stakeholders, said Balilo. Robina Asido/DMS