A US navy ship has rescued 11 Filipino fishermen after monsoon rains caused their boat to capsize in the South China Sea, the American embassy and provincial officials in the Philippines said.
A photograph of yesterday's rescue released by the US embassy showed several of the fishermen on the upper deck of their boat with just the bow and tail still visible above water.
The USNS Impeccable, an ocean surveillance ship, was sailing to the northern Philippine port of Subic Bay when its crew saw the partially submerged boat in the water, a US embassy statement said.
The fishermen had sailed from the northern coastal town of Infanta on July 14 before bad weather struck yesterday morning, leading their boat to capsize, Juvin Solis of the provincial disaster office told AFP.
"They were drifting to the southwest when the US vessel arrived and rescued them a few hours later," Solis added.
Days of monsoon rains have left five people dead and forced about 4,000 people to flee their homes due to flooding and landslides in the northern Philippines, civil defence officers said.
