Hope of finding the seven Negrense fishermen missing at sea alive dimmed yesterday, four days after their vessel sank between Gigantes Islands off the coast of northeastern Iloilo, and Madridejos town in Bantayan, Cebu.

Lt. Commander Ramil Palabrica, Coast Guard Bacolod Station chief, said John Rey Vergara, Antic Celeste, Gerry Bangalisan, Norberto Patriarca and three others identified only as Jomar, Jimbol and Anel, who were on board F/B Inday Sweet when it sank at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, had not been found as of yesterday.

Coast Guard units from Iloilo, Cebu and Masbate have been searching for the F/B Inday Sweet crew, he said.

Hope of finding the seven alive was dimming, considering that they had been missing since Thursday, Connie Batuigas, a relative of Bangalisan, said yesterday.

“Only a miracle now could bring them back alive, as their boat sank amid strong winds and waves,” she said.

If they were alive and someone found them, they would have contacted us by now, she said.

“Our hope is that their bodies are found,” she said.

The fishermen from Victorias City, Negros Occidental, who had been fishing in Masbate, were on their way home when they encountered rough seas, Batuigas said.

The fishermen were in the waters in between Gigantes Islands and Madridejos when they called for help as their boat was sinking, Batuigas said.

The victims were able to contact fishing boat owner Ana May Claro of Barangay 6-A, Victorias, before their vessel sank, Palabrica said.

They were able to describe their situation and location but lost contact shortly after.

Palabrica said foul weather yesterday also caused the cancelation of fastcraft trips between Iloilo and Bacolod, and sea travel from the ports of San Carlos, Escalante, Cadiz, Victorias, and Pulupandan in Negros Occidental.

Sea travel is expected to resume as soon as the weather improves.

Tropical storm "Egay", that had triggered the foul weather, had weakened slightly after crossing Northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said yesterday.

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said there were no reports of damage caused by the rains that hit Negros Occidental during the weekend.

He expects the weather to improve today as “Egay” leaves the country.*CPG

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