The Philippine Coast Guard responded to a maritime incident involving a distressed tug with eight crewmembers and a barge laden with black sand and boulders off Laoang River in Northern Samar province on Saturday, September 11.
The captain of the tug Kurt Matthew said they encountered strong winds and rough waves that dragged their anchor and caused the barge they were towing to drift towards a shallow portion of the river. Both vessels eventually became partially submerged.
A coast guard search and rescue team immediately deployed to the area to render assistance to the tug crewmen, who were all in good physical condition and thus did not require medical attention.
The coast guard clarified that no oil spills were detected in the area.
The barge's cargo at the time of the incident consisted of 500 tonnes of black sand and 1.5 tonnes of boulders.