The United States Navy's Seventh Fleet rescued three distressed Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea on New Year's Day. The fishermen, adrift since late December due to engine failure, were safely recovered by the USNS Cesar Chavez and handed over to Philippine authorities.
On January 1, while transiting the South China Sea, the crew of the dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez spotted three Filipino fishermen off Bolinao, Pangasinan, around 12:45 p.m. The ship dispatched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat to retrieve them from their distressed motorized fishing vessel.
The three individuals, identified as citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, were brought aboard and assessed by the ship's medical staff. The US Navy reported that all three were in good health, and Philippine authorities were promptly notified.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) named the fishermen as Michael Lebios, Michael John Lebios, and Lorjun Lupague, all from Sitio Pocdol, Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan. The fishermen explained to US Navy personnel that their boat's engine had flooded on December 28 amid heavy seas, leaving them adrift. They had left port on December 27 and subsisted on limited food and water until the USNS Cesar Chavez, bound for Subic, Zambales, located them.
The US Navy coordinated with Philippine government officials to ensure the fishermen's safe return. The PCG facilitated their handover from the US Navy vessel, approximately 50 nautical miles west of Bolinao.
"The PCG extends its gratitude to the USNS Cesar Chavez for its timely humanitarian assistance and reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the safety of Filipino fisherfolk at sea," the Coast Guard stated.
