Bohol Standard, November 12 2006
Cebu-Bohol sea route claims another “jump-ship†victim
It’s the second fatality in a span of two months for Bohol-bound passengers, reportedly jumping off from a cruising ship.
THE latest fatality was identified as 19-year old man Stephen Torrefiel who jumped off M/V Ara when the ship was along Gilutungan Channel on its way to Talibon, Bohol Monday night.
The first was reported last month when a detainee of the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center was also reported to have jumped ship on its way back to Bohol from Cebu.
Both incidents are now being investigated by the Coast Guard of the Central-Eastern Visayas regional command.
Torrefiel reportedly jumped into water 1.5 nautical miles away from the shorelines of Cordova town.
The ship’s crew conducted a search and rescue operations delaying the ship for two hours. The body of Torrefiel was never found.
A Special Operation Group from the Coast Guard also proceeded to the place of incident but still no trace of the victim’s body was found. Heavy current might have swept the body into the open seas.
The investigation will focus on whether the
victim accidentally fell or intentionally jumped-off from the ship.
Local residents of coastal towns along the route in the islands of Cebu and Bohol are requested to inform the Coast Guard any sighting of a floating body near their shores.
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