Written by Natalia Freitas for Atuna.com
Even though recent meetings have been held to reinforce ocean’s security for tuna fishermen in the Philippines, piracy within its national waters is not a recent phenomenon. Thirty-nine years ago one of the most prominent members of the Philippine fishing industry, Mr. Marfenio Tan, owner of San Andres Fishing Ind., survived a piracy attack and hours drifting at sea.
Mr. Tan talked to Atuna.com about the attack in details, proving that no matter how long ago it has been, he will never forget the day he had to struggle for his life.
Atuna.com: Mr. Tan, could you please describe the events of the night your boat and crew had been attacked by pirates?
It happened on March 2, 1971 at about 9:00 P.M. somewhere in the area of Maasim Municipality (Philippines) at about 30 nautical miles from the shoreline.
While I was fishing, together with 2 other fishermen, using an outrigger boat powered by a 10 hp briggs and stratton engine, and using a petromax lantern, we caught a shark (there was no policy against shark then). And while drawing in the catch, we heard another boat approaching our direction. We thought it was just another fishermen trying to fish in the area looking for a good position.
To our surprise, we saw five people wearing bonnet masks on their faces carrying high powered guns like garand and carbine. They shouted at us and told us to jump over board (also known here as “ambak pareâ€). We then realized that they were pirates.
In a hurry, we jumped overboard since we know that pirates just shoot at anybody indiscriminately without regard to people’s lives. We tried to look for a device to help us float and we found the buoy attached to our boat.
Could you describe the activities before the attack?
We were municipal fishermen fishing for tuna. It was fortunate that the weather that night was good and the water was warm. We are in a tropical climate so the water is mostly warm at night.
For how long were you drifting at sea before rescued you?
We were drifting in the sea for almost 16 hours. The pirates did not leave us any kind of life support at all except that one plastic buoy which we cut that was attached from our boat. My two companions kept interchanging in using the buoy and I was just floating because I was a swimmer and they were also older.
Before jumping overboard, I managed to turn off the lantern so they could not see us floating. Several minutes later, we heard a sound of the engine. We thought they already carried our vessel away. They left us with no food, water or anything at all to make us survive.
What was your major fear when drifting at sea? Hypothermia? Starvation? Drowning? Sea animals?
The area where we were fishing was known to be shark infested. We were definitely afraid that the sharks would eat us alive. We were also scared of drowning especially with big waves. Not so much with Hypothermia since the water was warm. We did not think of starving at that time.
Were there any other crew members left behind? Are they all okay?
There were 3 of us on that boat, luckily we all survived. However, we realized we were not the only ones attacked by pirates that night. When the pirates had left, we heard gun shots from not too far from us. We thought there were others whom they also attacked.
How is your mental/physical health now? How long did it take for you to recover from the incident?
Mentally and physically, we were all okay. However, it took me two months to recover. I developed a phobia to go back fishing. I remember being afraid of the water for a while. But I am okay now since that was a long time already.
Do you consider having guns onboard for protection?
After that incident, I thought of having guns on board. We also asked the government to help police the high seas and municipal water from pirates so that it would be safe for fishermen trying to make a living.
My companions got discouraged with what happened. They even thought of quitting but I encouraged them and told them that we can make it. I remember Apollo 13 when they lost control in the outer space. They never lost hope and they were able to make it back to our orbit and landed. I told them if they made it, we can also make it, we just have to have hope. They were in the outer space and we are floating on the sea. Help is even closer to us than to them. I prayed to God that He would help us
How did the rescuers locate you?
When I looked up at the sky I saw the morning star, then I realized it was morning already. We were already floating for more than 7 hours. Fishermen usually depended on the stars to guide them and to let them know what time it is. It was then that I remembered my family. I remembered my wife. I remembered my son, Digoy, who was only 4 months old that time. I thought if I don’t make it, what would happen to them? How would they live? Thoughts of my memories flashed back. Then I prayed that God would help me that I can go back to my family. I had high hopes and had a strong faith that God would not yet take my life and help me.
At about 5:30 in the morning, the sun begins to clear the skies. When I looked far, I saw a boat at about a kilometer away. I got excited and told my companions that we need to go to that boat for us to survive. However, their legs are all numb and they said they could not swim anymore.
I decided that I would just swim to get there. They told me I may not make it because it was very far. It was then I prayed and asked the Lord for strength and to help me one more time. I prayed “Lord, if you take my life, take it now, but if you still have plans for me, give me the strength I need and I commit my spirit to you.†It was then that I got the courage to survive. I gathered all my energy and started swimming and just told them to pray for me.
At about 50 meters away, my companions told me to come back and told me that it would be better for us to be together however I was determined to get to the boat. So I kept on swimming without looking back.
Halfway to the boat, I saw a school of fish. I suddenly got afraid because usually there are sharks following a school of fish. I also saw lots of birds above encircling the fishes. My heart began to beat faster. When I looked back to where my companions were, I could not see them anymore. All the more that I got scared. I thought the sharks have already eaten them. So I just continued swimming.
How long did it take you to reach the boat? Didn’t any of the crew see you swimming towards them?
It was already 7 in the morning when I reached the boat. As I got closer to the boat, I recognized it was our boat! The pirates didn’t really take it away. When I got to the boat I hugged the outrigger full of gratitude to God for helping me make it whole and alive. I tried to go up the boat but I had no more strength, I was too tired. I could barely carry my body up onboard and I could not feel anything anymore. I was touching my legs but could not feel it. So I crawled going up slowly and catching my breath.
When I got onboard I laid flat on the boat and rested for a while. Then I started looking around. The boat has no more engines. They also took all the food including our lantern. They took all our paraphernalia and wiped the boat clean. However, when I looked under the seat, I saw the bottled water there, so I drank a lot to get my energy back.
I started to paddle the boat with a piece of wood used to hold the lantern since they also took the paddles away. I tried to go to the direction of where my companions were and hoping that the sharks spared them. It took me a while. At about 10 or 11 A.M., I saw them still floating and holding on to that buoy. So I helped them up the boat.
We lift a red tarp and used it as sail so other victims of piracy that night would see us if there were any. Later, there were other boats that came to rescue us. Word spread that there were pirates the previous night so other fishermen came and looked for us. I realized there were 4 boats that the pirates attacked that night. At about one in the afternoon, we reached the shore.
In your opinion, what could have prevented the attack?
If we had guns onboard, we could have given them a warning shot and that would deter them from attacking us. Maybe patrol boats from the government would also prevent them from attacking. If they would see these patrol boats checking the area somehow that would deter them too. Another is to train the fishermen to be seaborne and give them firearms to combat the pirates as well as teaching them survival of life at sea.