Rescue diver dies; hero’s burial set

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Rescue diver dies; hero’s burial set
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:12:00 01/09/2010



MANILA, Philippines—Like the victims of the ferry MV Catalyn B, which sank after a collision with a fishing vessel on Christmas Eve, PO3 Arman Bonifacio, a diver of the Philippine Coast Guard, met his end in the water Friday.

Bonifacio lost consciousness while he and other Coast Guard divers were trying to retrieve bodies entombed in the wreck of Catalyn B, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Commander Arman Balilo.

It was the first time in the Coast Guard’s recent history that a diver had died while in the midst of a mission, Balilo said.

Bonifacio, 42, was pronounced dead at the Jose Reyes Medical Center in Manila.

Balilo said that Bonifacio “was a seasoned diver” who served the Coast Guard for 20 years.

As a Coast Guard diver, Bonifacio was involved in the retrieval of bodies from the MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized in 2008, and the SuperFerry 14, which sank last year.

“He was there in all of the Coast Guard sorties,” Balilo said.

Hero’s burial

Bonifacio was also a team leader in rescue operations after Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” submerged Metro Manila and nearby provinces late last year.

Coast Guard Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo has ordered that Bonifacio be buried with honors and full assistance be given to his family.

Balilo said in a phone interview that Bonifacio became unconscious while trying to retrieve a female cadaver from the ferry, which sank after a collision with FV Anatalia, a steel-hulled boat, on Dec. 24.

Bonifacio’s diving partner, PO3 Saturnino Cahilig Jr., noticed that Bonifacio went slack just after they had brought the woman’s body to the surface, according to Balilo.

Retrieval stops

Bonifacio was immediately taken to the decompression chamber on the BRP Pampanga but he did not regain consciousness.

The operation off the coast of Cavite province was halted while Bonifacio was taken to the Jose Reyes Medical Center, where he died after a cardiac arrest.

It appeared that Bonifacio suffered a diving-related ailment while on the mission, a hazard all divers face, Balilo said.

Bonifacio’s body will undergo autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The body of the female victim recovered Friday was clad in black pants and a white shirt with a heart print, Balilo said.

He said the woman, believed to be in her twenties, had yet to be identified.


= = = = = = = = EARLIER STORY (RELATED) = = = = = = = = = =​

MANILA, Philippines - Four bodies, including that of a baby, were recovered by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) divers during Wednesday's retrieval operations for the missing passengers of the ill-fated ferry Catalyn B off the waters of Limbones Island in Cavite province.

The PCG said the first recovered was the body of Mario Redublo, 63, of Barangay Maguinhawa, Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. The victim was identified through a senior citizen's identification card retrieved from the body.

The three other bodies recovered from the sunken Catalyn B, which was located 221 feet below the surface and 2 nautical miles from Limbones Island, belonged to 2 females and a baby.

The first female body was described as 30 to 35 years old, wearing a pink and white striped blouse and black pants, a bracelet and has a keychain with the name Shane Mabel.

The second female body was recovered around 3 p.m. The PCG said the woman was wearing brown pedal pants, a dark green jacket, a black blouse and a Seiko watch. It also has a Nokia cellular phone. Authorities place the woman's age at around 40.

The PCG said the last body recovered from the sunken ship belonged to a baby, probably one year old. The baby was wearing a pink overall and a yellow shirt with a butterfly design.

A pink pacifier and a pair of earrings were also recovered from the baby’s body.

Bodies brought to Manila

Lt. Col. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesman, said the 8-man retrieval team started diving on Wednesday morning. The retrieval was temporarily halted at 4 p.m. to bring the recovered bodies to the PCG's main headquarters in Manila.

Balilo said the retrieval operations will resume Thursday morning.

The recovery of the 4 bodies brought the official number of fatalities from the ferry's sinking to 10 while 17 remained missing.

The ferry sank in the waters off Limbones Island in Maragondon town on Christmas Eve. At least 44 passengers survived the tragedy.

Meanwhile, a family member of one of the fatalities of the ill-fated passenger ferry expressed disappointment over the Catalyn B owner's compensation.

Mark Lloyd Almodal told radio dzMM that the San Nicolas Shipping Lines, whose operation has been suspended due to the mishap, gave them only P5,000 in burial assistance.

Almodal’s brother, Michael, was one of the passengers of the ferry. Michael’s body was found floating in the waters off Bataan.

Baleno 9 victims' retrieval halted

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Elena Bautista, meanwhile, said that diving for the missing passengers of MV Baleno 9 have been halted.

"Hindi po kakayaning balikan iyong barko sa ilalim ng dagat kung meron pang remaining bodies," Bautista said.

She said that what the retrieval teams could only do is to wait for the bodies to float to the surface. She said teams from the PCG are on a round-the-clock alert for reports of floating bodies.

The roll-on, roll-off vessel sank off Isla Verde Island in Batangas City last December 26. A total of 6 bodies have been recovered and 47 more passengers remained missing.

Bautista had said that Peter Ang, owner of the Besta Shipping Lines, which operates the ill-fated vessel, has been avoiding the Marina's calls and invitations.

The Marina has asked the Bureau of Immigration to place Ang on its watchlist.
 
VIDEO and additional details can be found at:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/181132/rescuers-death-brings-to-fore-risks-faced-by-govt-divers

"...On the first of three scheduled dives for the day, Bonifacio, along with his dive buddy PO2 Saturnino Cahilig, retrieved a woman’s body still wearing a printed white shirt and black pants.

On their second attempt, the two reached the ship’s wreckage again. On their ascent, however, Cahilig felt Bonifacio shake his hand at about 170 feet deep, a signal that he was not feeling well. Bonifacio reportedly increased his ascension speed, which was against basic diving safety rules.

“He wanted to speed up his ascent, which would put him more in a very compromising situation. So pinipigilan siya although ina-assist na siya sa pag-air (So he was being held back although his buddy assisted him in breathing in air)," SOG diving team head Lt. Commander Marco Gines said in a GMA News’ 24 Oras report.

At around 140 feet, Bonifacio lost consciousness, Gines said. He was resurfaced and brought to a decompression chamber for first aid. Inside the chamber, things went well as Bonifacio regained consciousness and was reportedly still able to follow orders.

Two hours later, Bonifacio succumbed to cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center at around 3:40 p.m., according to Balilo."
 
Thanks for taking the time to keep up to date with this type of news Blades too often we never hear the conclusions to accident stories.
 
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