2 divers were hurt while doing salvage operations in sunken MV Ocean Papa in Antique

Miami
October 21, 2008
Story: 2 divers were hurt while doing salvage operations in sunken MV Ocean Papa in Antique

Two divers were reportedly hurt after they were injured due to the explosion occurred under water while doing salvage operations for the MV Ocean Papa which was sunken by typhoon Frank last June 2008 in Antique.

The incident occurred at around 8:45 am of October 20, 2008. The two that were hurt were identified as Primitivo Morales, 65 of Navotas and Rodulfo Lazaro, 27 of Caloocan City.

Based on the report of the Philippine Coast Guard in Antique, the two victims were part of the 12-man diving team working as divers of CV Gaspar Salvor Corp.

Both Morales and Lazaro were about to cut the part of engine room or doing underwater cutting operation of the sunken MV Ocean Papa when the explosion occurred. The two did not notice the presence of the compressed gas on the electrical equipment that they are using that cause for it to explode.

The MV Ocean Papa which is bound from Manila to Iloilo then to Bacolod sank off about 60 feet in barangay Maralison Island, Culasi, Antique last June 21 due to typhoon Frank that as capsized the MV Princess of the Stars in Romblon.

On that incident two were reportedly dead, the captain and the chief mate, then 24 were save. The salvage operation for the MV Ocean Papa starts last July 17, and the Coast Guard is saying that they are already on the 83.5% on the salvage operations.

The MV Ocean Papa is not a passenger vessel, but a cargo vessel containing 143 containers but only 62 containers were recovered.