Filipino fisherman rescued after three days at sea

Fishermen sort their nets in the coastal town of Masinloc, Zambales, about 130 nautical miles from disputed Scarborough Shoal, in northern Philippines, in this April 22, 2015 file photo. (REUTERS)

MANILA: A Filipino fisherman is recovering after being stranded in the disputed West Philippine Sea for three days without food or water.
Albert Carcuevas, 20, from Barangay village in the province of Palawan, was rescued after a Philippine navy ship spotted his crippled boat drifting near Dalagang Bukid Shoal.
Capt. Cherryl Tindog, an armed forces spokesperson, said: “It was a good thing he was spotted because he was already out of supplies. He had spent three days without food and water.”
Dalagang Bukid is near Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), where a rusting World War II warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, serves as a command post for a contingent of Philippine marines.
Tindog said Carcuevas was fishing alone off Rizal town when his small boat developed engine trouble and began drifting toward the West Philippine Sea.
The fisherman was taken to BRP Sierra Madre after his rescue last Friday.
“He is in stable condition and his family has been told. The Western Command shall ensure his safe return,” said Tindog.