Missing Container Ship Captain Searched for Off Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has initiated a search and rescue mission for the missing captain of the containership Cape Bonavista in the waters near Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. The incident took place on July 6 at around 10:46 PM local time, when the Ukrainian captain of the vessel went missing.

On July 7, the Coast Guard District National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Philippines, deployed the BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) to search for the missing captain around Lubang Island.

The Coast Guard vessel utilized a thermal scanner, a device capable of detecting heat from individuals or objects on water or land. The scanner was set up to follow a parallel search pattern to locate the missing captain. Additionally, the Coast Guard coordinated with the Philippine Navy Littoral Monitoring Station for further assistance.

On July 8, the BRP Malapascua continued its search in the nearby waters but was unable to locate the captain. The vessel then returned to its station to refuel before resuming the search operation.

The Cape Bonavista is a 24,754 dwt container ship sailing under the Marshall Islands flag. Built in 2023, the vessel is owned and managed by Columbia Shipmanagement SNG, Singapore. The ship departed from Port Davao, Philippines, on July 4 and is scheduled to arrive in Nansha, China, on July 13.