Two Filipino fishermen were injured after their vessel was rocked by an onboard explosion in the waters off Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday, June 29. The Philippine Coast Guard said the fishing boat Akio was 17 nautical miles southwest of the shoal when the blast occurred.
The multi-role response vessel (MRRV) BRP Sindangan was on patrol near the shoal when it was ordered to divert to the area to render assistance. The fishing boat was already half-submerged by the time the MRRV arrived on-scene.
The MRRV was initially shadowed by nearby vessels of the China Coast Guard and China's People's Liberation Army Navy, as the shoal is disputed territory claimed by both Manila and Beijing. However, after the Chinese crews learned that the MRRV was in the area to conduct a rescue operation, the China Coast Guard vessel launched two rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) to provide assistance if needed.
Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, said the two coast guards "communicated in a diplomatic manner and set aside issues on sovereignty, in the spirit of humanitarianism," allowing the rescue mission to be concluded successfully. All eight fishermen who were on Akio, including the two injured individuals, were brought aboard Sindangan and later transported to shore.
