What began as an ordinary sea voyage nearly turned into a nightmare when FB Midzfar, a motorized banca bound for Zamboanga City, was left at the mercy of violent waves and heavy rains off the coast of Barangay Ayala at the break of midnight on September 8, 2025.
Twelve passengers, six of them children, huddled together in fear as strong winds battered their vessel. Their boat captain, Mr. Kadafy Alih, frantically called 911 past midnight after the banca’s axel gave way, leaving the vessel stranded and vulnerable. With the storm raging, every second meant the difference between life and death.
At 12:30 a.m., hope came slicing through the darkness. The Zamboanga City Maritime Police Station (ZC MARPSTA), led by PCPT Allan S. Pestañas and manned by PSSg Sulaiman B. Osman and the R9-TWH-07 patrol crew, braved the perilous waters to launch a search-and-rescue mission.
For more than an hour, rescuers scoured the stormy sea, battling waves and low visibility until, at exactly 1:45 a.m., they reached the distressed vessel. Relief washed over the passengers as the police hauled them to safety—six adults and six minors, all trembling but alive. They had set sail from Tabuan Lasa, Basilan, only to find themselves caught in nature’s wrath.
By 2:30 a.m., the survivors finally touched solid ground at the Regional Maritime Unit 9 headquarters. There, the ZC MARPSTA coordinated with the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (ZCDRRMO), ensuring the rescued were given immediate medical care and proper assistance.
What could have been a tragedy in the open sea turned into a story of courage and swift response. The successful rescue underscored the readiness of the Maritime Group to guard lives at sea, even in the face of fierce weather and unpredictable danger.
For the 12 passengers of FB Midzfar, it was a brush with death—and a reminder that in the darkest of nights, heroes still rise with the waves.