Strong waves triggered by the shear line caused two more motorized bancas to sink off Catanduanes last week but the three fishermen involved survived the incidents.
Based on reports from the Caramoran municipal police station and residents of Tubli, the incident occurred sometime before 11 AM of Jan. 9, 2026 when John Paul Surbano Borbe, 34, and his brother Dexter, 11, went out to sea to go fishing in the midst of heavy rains.
Unfortunately, the engine of their motorized banca failed to start, with huge waves causing it to capsize some 200 meters off the shore where members of the fisherfolk association saw what was happening despite the almost zero visibility and immediately boarded their boats to rescue the victims.
The capsized motor banca was towed to the shore while the victims went home.
The incident was not promptly reported to the MDRRMO and the police, with law enforcers later visiting the victims to advise them to refrain from going out to sea during inclement weather.
Meanwhile, a fisherman from Dororian, Gigmoto was reported lost on the same day.
Mayor Vicente Tayam Jr. later posted on social media that Andres Gonzales swam to the shore of nearby Sicmil after his banca sank.
A check of the PAGASA website showed that the gale warning issued at 5 AM covered only coastal barangays of Ilocos Norte.
Last Sunday, Jan. 11, fishermen from Binanuahan, Bato rescued two fellow fisherman from Albay whose motorized banca had sunk.
The survivors were turned over to the Bato MDRRMO which has yet to issue a report in the latest sea mishap.