Shipwrecked - Safe Haven in Singapore
After a traumatic rescue from
the waves, two seafarers found help and support in Singapore
 In
January 2008, the M/V Ho Feng No. 7 sank off Itbayat Island
in Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines.
The Panamanian flagged ship was carrying 19 crew. Of these,
eight were rescued but 11 lost their lives at sea.
Two of the rescued seafarers, Richard E Toque, an
electrician, and Bryan M Velasco, a general purpose seaman,
both from the Philippines, were rescued by another ship, the
M/T Ibukisan. They were taken to port in Malaysia and from
there to Singapore in order to process their travel
documents and fly back to Manila. The Philippine embassy in
Singapore contacted AOS port chaplain Fr Romeo Yu who
arranged for the two seafarers to stay at the Stella Maris
Seamen's Center.
This is how the seafarers described their experience to
Fr Romeo.
"It was about 23.30 on 15 January when we were awakened
by the A/B on duty and told that the ship was sinking. We
assembled at the muster station to prepare the lifeboat. The
master then gave the order to abandon ship. However we
encountered a problem lowering the lifeboat as there was so
much wood floating around the ship. The ship was sinking and
we could not use the lifeboat so we jumped into the sea.
We were tossed about in the big waves as we tried to push
the wood away to avoid being injured by it. Eight of us held
onto the life ring together. As a ship approached to rescue
us, the waves became stronger, forcibly separating us. The
two of us clung to each other and tried to reach the rope
which the rescue ship had lowered. Three times we lost our
grip because of the waves. Then the ship threw a net into
the sea and that way, we were rescued.
The crew of the rescuing ship treated us very well. As we
had lost all our own possessions, they gave us clothes and
provided for all our needs. One of the crew was an old
classmate so we had a happy reunion. We sailed with them for
five days until we reached Malaysia".
According to Fr Romeo, the two seafarers had tears in
their eyes as they recounted the experience. The next day
they went to the Philippine embassy and they met their local
shipping agent. They learned that the other survivors of the
shipwreck were in Taiwan. Some of them are in the hospital
due to injuries. The two seafarers in Singapore were the
first of the crew to return to their own country.
The night before their departure, Fr Romeo accompanied
them to Chinatown, newly decorated in preparation for
Chinese New Year, where they enjoyed a Filipino meal. There
Fr Romeo encouraged the seafarers to talk in more depth
about their recent traumatic experience. They discussed
their relationship with other members of the crew, the
camaraderie. Knowing that the missing crew members would
certainly be dead by now, they prayed for them and hoped
that they were in a better place, in Heaven.
Fr Romeo reports that the two survivors were very
grateful to the Lord that their lives had been saved and
that people had cared for them during the days of great
anxiety and pain. When they left, they promised that, if
they ever have the chance to come back to Singapore, they
will visit the Stella Maris centre.
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