The search for fishing vessel F/B St. Mary, a dinghy and six other people who were reported missing since Wednesday continues today even as hopes they would be found were dampened by continuous stormy weather across the country.

The four survivors plucked out of the waters off Lazi town in Siquijor are now recuperating in a hospital in that island-province, Capt. Gerald Naldosa, Air Force pilot who led the two-day aerial search since Thursday said. The search will most likely resume again today.

A team of rescuers from the Philippine Air Force's 505 2nd Search and Rescue Squadron based in Mactan, Cebu, scoured the waters off Siquijor, Oriental Negros and even went as far as Bohol yesterday in search of the fishing vessels that had left Plaridel, Misamis Occidental en route to Basay, Oriental Negros. Naldosa said they spoke to one of the survivors, Romel Nosal, the captain of the fishing boat, on Friday morning during a briefing attended by Siquijor Gov. Orlando Fua.

Nosal told the rescuers that he and five other crewmembers of the fishing vessel took the dinghy at Siquijor Island to seek help. The dinghy, however, capsized and they decided to jump overboard, some of them holding on to empty plastic gallon containers, Capt. Naldosa quoted Nosal as saying.

But, Nosal said, they got separated while trying to reach the shoreline. Nosal and Junasky Alcantara were rescued by fishermen hours later, while Joel Lapasaran and Johnny Anlap were rescued by a passenger.

Two others were still missing up to sundown yesterday, and also the four other crewmembers left on the FB St. Mary, Naldosa said.

The Air Force rescue team invited Nosal to join them on board the Bell 250 SAR helicopter that searched for about two hours between the islands of Siquijor and Bohol and a little further down south.

Naldosa said they are awaiting further instructions to resume SAR operations today but expressed doubt because it would be difficult for them to scour the vast expanse of water from the Bohol Sea down to Mindanao. He said he would rather recommend that a fixed wing aircraft, such as the Islander of the Philippine Coast Guard, continue with the search.

Naldosa's team includes co-pilot Capt. Jose Johnson Grayda and three para-jumpers of the 505 2nd SRS, and Coast Guard personnel who were on the ground. *JG

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