BASILAN, Philippines — The death toll from the tragic sinking of M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 has climbed to 65 after technical divers from the Philippine Coast Guard recovered another cadaver during underwater operations on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
Authorities said the latest recovery was made as part of continuing search and retrieval efforts at the site of the maritime disaster, which has become one of the deadliest sea incidents in recent months in the region.
According to the Coast Guard, a total of 293 passengers have been recorded as survivors, while 14 individuals remain missing. Officials emphasized that the figures were carefully consolidated through joint validation by multiple agencies, including the Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao, along with coordination with affected families who continue to verify the identities of victims and survivors.
Search operations remain underway as divers and rescue teams scour underwater sections of the vessel and surrounding waters in hopes of locating those still unaccounted for. Authorities said the challenging conditions and the complexity of underwater recovery operations have required careful and methodical efforts from trained divers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation said investigators are examining several possible causes of the tragedy, including the possibility that the vessel may have been overloaded. Initial assessments were made after authorities compared the number of fatalities, survivors, and missing passengers with the ship’s authorized passenger capacity.
Officials noted that a full investigation is ongoing to determine what led to the sinking and whether any violations of maritime safety regulations occurred.
The maritime disaster has left dozens of families grieving while others continue to hold on to hope that the remaining missing passengers will still be found. Authorities assured the public that search, retrieval, and investigative operations will continue until all possible leads are exhausted and accountability is established.