DAVAO CITY (PNA) – Efforts to salvage a cargo vessel stuck at the Bacud Reef in Sarangani Bay remain futile as workers failed for the third time to pull the ship off the reef over the weekend.

Bacud Reef is about 50 nautical miles from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station in General Santos City.

Lt. Commander Richard Marfe of the PCG said a refloating procedure was made early Friday morning but workers failed to move the ship.

Marfe said the Malayan Towage Company, the company commissioned to salvage the ship, used three tugboats in its effort to pull the vessel.

He said the salvage company is under the command of the PCG which has been securing the ship’s vicinity from “day one.”

PCG operatives had been on board the MV Double Prosperity since May 9 – a day after the vessel ran aground at the reef that is a protected area.

The tide and current table indicated high tides from June 1 to 3, Marfe said.

He said the ship’s water ballasts have been emptied and pressurized in order to add buoyancy particularly at the fore of the ship.