By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Maritime police personnel based in Tawi-Tawi assisted a family whose father needed immediate medical attention amid inclement weather on Monday night, an official reported Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Jeseryl Dela Cruz, chief of the 1st Special Operations Unit-Maritime Group (SOU-MG), said his team on seaborne patrol noticed a series of flashing lights from a motorboat around 10:15 p.m. off the coast of Barangay Buan in Panglima Sugala town.
Dela Cruz said they quickly approached the motorboat, with two children wanting to take their father, Guan Ing Karain, to Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.
“Mr. Karain was suffering from severe pain after being stung by a poisonous fish locally called luppoh, which caused severe pain and swelling in his left leg,” Dela Cruz said in his report.
“The team, without hesitation, transferred the patient and his two children to the gunboat and quickly brought them to Bongao,” he added.
From the 1st SOU headquarters in Bongao, Karain was taken to Datu Halun Sakilan Memorial Hospital.
Dela Cruz said their unit also provides humanitarian aid to citizens, in addition to guarding the sea against lawless elements. (PNA)
