US warship rescues five fishermen

Manila A US warship found five Filipino fishermen early Wednesday morning, five hours after they were seen flashing light while on top of their sinking boat by US helicopter pilots midnight of Tuesday in the South China Sea off Mindoro, southern Luzon, sources said.

The Filipino fishermen were brought ashore when the USS McCampbell docked at the Manila Bay on Wednesday, being one of the escort ships of the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group which began its five-day port call.

They were found in good health following a medical checkup aboard the USS McCampbell. They had also rested comfortably aboard USS McCampbell, said US Embassy spokeswoman Tina Malone.

Narrating the harrowing experience of the Filipino fishermen, Malone said their boat was almost submerged when found off Lubang Island in Mindoro by US Navy personnel aboard two boats that were sent by USS McCampbell for the rescue operation.

Earlier, helicopter pilots of the USS McCampbell who engaged in night-time flight operations of the USS McCampbell, an Arleigh Bruke-class guided missile destroyer, initially spotted the beleaguered Filipino fishermen, said Malone.

At the time, the buffeted Filipino fishermen were “standing on the roof of their boat, the only part of it left above water,” Malone said, adding the USS Campbell was then nearby, prompting authorities to embark on a rescue operation.

The USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group has been engaged in patrolling the Asia-Pacific region.

The presence of the warship in the South China Sea was an early sign of US’s effort to secure its presence in the Asia Pacific region.

The Philippines has been asking Washington assistance for the modernization of the Philippine Navy.