The FastCat roll-on, roll-off fastcraft ran aground on Friday night in seawaters off Tubigon cancelling the vessel’s maiden trip from said town to Cebu City.

According to Seaman 2nd Class Vermon Tabangco of the Tagbilaran City Coast Guard, the incident happened 6:30 p.m., an hour after MV FastCat left Tubigon, in a shallow area of the Tambulian Reef, 5 nautical miles from the town’s pier.

Tabangco said that all 69 of those on board including passengers and crew members were not injured while personnel of the Tubigon Coast Guard immediately responded to the accident.

The Coast Guard transported some of the passengers and cargo back to the town’s port using two motorized bancas.

Other passengers opted to stay on the stranded vessel and wait for sea level to rise allowing the fastcraft to float again and resume its voyage to Cebu.

However, Ronald Arcay of the Philippine Ports Authority-Tubigon said that MV FastCat travelled back to Tubigon instead and docked at the town’s pier at 10:10 p.m.

Officials of MV FastCat have yet to release a statement regarding the incident while the Tagbilaran Coast Guard is already set to conduct a probe. (Rey Tutas)