Dolphin seen trying to rescue Negros fisherman

Friday, June 27, 2008

FEATURE

Dolphin seen trying to rescue Negros fisherman from drowning

By Ma. Ester L. Espina, Correspondent BACOLOD CITY: A man from Negros Occidental has captivated local media with a story about a dolphin that died trying to save his fellow fisherman from drowning after their boat sank during the onslaught of Typhoon Frank. Roberto Caratao and Joseph Cesdorio were among the fishermen aboard F/B Nicole Louise 2 over the weekend. When the boat sank somewhere in the Visayan Sea, Caratao said he survived by clinging to the side of a raft, others by grabbing onto whatever floated. Caratao said he saw a dolphin, which was about the size of an adult human, drag and push Cesdorio, 34, toward Burias Island. Unfortunately, neither Cesdorio nor the dolphin survived, he added. Cesdorio was among the 24 fishermen from Negros Occidental who were confirmed dead by local authorities, bringing the death toll in the province to 34. The Philippine Coast Guard also reported founding 135 typhoon survivors, some of whom were already reunited with their families. After the storm, local residents found the dead bodies of Cesdorio and the dolphin, which were buried on the island. But the owner of the fishing boat that sank, Alan Daniel, later had the bodies of Cesdorio and four other fishermen who died to be exhumed and brought back to their families. The story of the dolphin’s heroism was corroborated by other survivors who were aboard the Nicole Louise 2. One of them told local radio reporters that because of what he witnessed, he vowed never to eat dolphin meat again. Local fishing boat owners continue to dispatch other vessels toward the Visayan Sea, where there are reported sightings of survivors out at sea. Authorities said there are still 110 persons on their missing-persons list, and they hope they will continue to find survivors in the coming days. More than 490 people across the Philippines have died and at least a million others were left homeless by Typhoon Frank. The death toll does not include those who perished in the MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized off Sibuyan Island on Saturday with about 850 people aboard. -- With AFP