All seven crew of a small cargo boat are safe after their vessel capsized off Jomalig island in Quezon province, the Philippines. The boat went over in rough seas early on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Police say the men were found about ten hours later.
The motorised boat was named MV AC. It left Jomalig for Atimonan at about 03:00, carrying a load of copra. Copra is dried coconut meat used to make coconut oil. Quezon Police and The Philippine Star say the boat met large waves between Jomalig and Balesin Island and then capsized.
How the rescue started
The wife of the 62-year-old captain told Jomalig police about the accident at about 07:00, The Philippine Star reports. Police do not say how she first learned of the problem.
Jomalig police started a search with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Philippine Coast Guard substation in Jomalig. The Inquirer says the seven men were rescued at about 13:00 on the same day. They returned to their families in Barangay Talisoy. Police say they were in good physical condition.
The capsized boat was also recovered and towed to the shore, police told the Inquirer.
Jomalig is Quezon's smallest and easternmost island town. It faces the Pacific Ocean as part of the Polillo Island Group. The Inquirer notes that this makes the area open to rough seas.
This is a different case from our earlier report. In that case, the coast guard rescued eight crew from the Rose Marie 1 off Calayan, Cagayan, on 31 October.
What small-boat and coastal crews can do
Check the weather and sea state before you sail at night. Large waves can capsize a loaded boat in minutes.
Tell family and the local police or coast guard your route, departure time and expected arrival. If something goes wrong, they can start a search sooner.
Wear a life jacket on deck in rough weather. Keep one for every person on board.
Do not overload the boat with cargo. Copra and other dry cargo can shift and make the boat less stable.
Keep a working radio or phone in a waterproof bag. Call for help early, while you still have power and signal.
In the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard emergency number is 143, or use VHF channel 16 at sea.
If the boat capsizes but still floats, stay with it if you can. A boat is easier for rescuers to see than a person in the water.
Read our report on Cyclone Murasu fishermen off Andhra Pradesh for more tips after a boat capsizes in bad weather.
Find more emergency numbers in Crewboard's useful links.
Cover photo: The port of entry on Jomalig Island, Quezon, May 2019. Illustrative photo, not the boat in this story. Photo: Ten.then/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: Inquirer: 7 missing crewmen found safe after Quezon boat mishap (5 Nov 2026), Inquirer: 7 men missing after cargo boat capsizes off Jomalig, Quezon (5 Nov 2026), The Philippine Star: Boat sinks off Quezon; 7 rescued (6 Nov 2026), Abante: Bangkang may kargang kopra tumaob; kapitan, 6 tripulante hinahanap (5 Nov 2026).
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