Interview - Young Catholic Women Volunteers Dive For Bodies In Capsized Ship

Posted: 6th July 2008

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- Two young women who joined other divers in the search for bodies of people trapped in a capsized ship said their parents raised them to help other people.

Siblings Vanessa Anne, 28, and Maria Alexandra Garon, 23, also wanted to help coast guard personnel they admire. The Catholic women, members of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, spoke with UCA News on June 28 just after being discharged from the government-run East Avenue Medical Center.

They and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) divers were tested for possible contamination after the coast guard learned the MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized on June 21 during Typhoon Fengshen, was carrying 10 metric tons of endosulfan. The pesticide is banned in the European Union and Cambodia and restricted in other countries due to its high toxicity.

The auxiliary is a voluntary organization with a military structure attached to the PCG, where the Garons' mother, Emerita, is a commodore. She directs Golden Values School, Inc., which she co-founded in 1979 with her husband, Robert "Bob" Garon. Bob is a former La Salette priest who continues his ministry to rehabilitate people with various addictions, including priests addicted to alcohol and sex.

Vanessa directs some of the six Golden Values schools around the Manila region, which offer programs from preschool to high school. Alexandra, a psychologist, works with her father in Nazareth Formation House, a therapeutic community center in San Jose, Batangas, south of Manila, accredited by the Department of Health as a drug-abuse rehabilitation center.

Speaking with UCA News, the Garon sisters described their experience diving near Sibuyan Island, about 150 kilometers southeast of Manila, to help PCG divers remove bodies from the overturned MV Princess of the Stars. As of June 29, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported 56 rescued survivors and 173 recovered bodies believed to be from among the 725 passengers and 141 crew members on the ferry.

PCG search and recovery operations were suspended on June 27 after the Department of Transportation and Communications reported the ship was transporting endosulfan for the Del Monte Philippines company.

The UCA News interview with Vanessa and Alexandra Garon follows:
UCA NEWS: How did you become part of the rescue team?

VANESSA GARON: We have been diving for the past seven years, and I have always wanted to volunteer for something like this. I admire the people who work in the PCG, especially the divers who help when there's a wreck. Seeing them work in the worst conditions, I thought as a volunteer I can probably help them out even for just a few weeks or days.

For me, divers do the dirty work for everyone in ship wrecks. It's not a pretty sight underwater with dead bodies, but what inspired me is how they do a lot to help.
So when I heard that the PCG would possibly need divers to help in the retrieval operations, I told my sister to standby and asked our diving instructor if we could go. He gave us permission saying the PCG needed all the help they could get.

We left Manila on June 24 and dove to the wreck the next day.
What struck you most in this experience?

Vanessa: The first thing I saw when we went to the site was a man's bloated body floating on the surface. It made me realize that I was really there to help recover dead bodies. It was a life-changing experience.

Underwater, my sister and I were mainly outside the ship while the other divers searched for bodies inside the cabins. The plan was for them to get the body out and pass it on to us so we could bring the body up. The longest and hardest part was waiting. It was very dark. I got concerned whether the other divers would be stuck inside or would they ever come out with bodies.

I saw several handprints on the glass windows. It dawned on me that a few days ago, these people were indeed alive, and panicking to get out. At that very moment, I just said a prayer for them. I will never forget that sight.

ALEXANDRA GARON: There were all signs of life deep in the wreck. I saw a shoe on the floor, a lock of hair and a handkerchief hanging on the window. I realized there were really people there who struggled for life. Some of them even tried to climb the tables. When you are in that kind of situation, you cannot help but think about your blessings. You realize the importance of life.

I even saw one of the divers, a non-practicing Catholic, make the sign of the cross for the first time.
Vanessa: That guy was not spiritual but said he had been so touched by this experience. He said he gets emotional just thinking about it.

Another diver told us they saw a blue rosary inside a bag they found in one of the cabins. He said right there and then, he knew it was a sign that God would keep us safe in our mission and felt he had to continue getting those people out.

You two were the only women in the rescue team, how did that feel?

Vanessa: Since we do not have brothers, our parents always told us we can do anything a man can do. They even encouraged us to do things better.

Some of the coast guard teased us and asked why we volunteered. Everyone was worried about us. We told them this was the least we could do to help. It has been exciting.

One of the colonels at the hospital said they had high morale despite the tiredness because we all knew we did our best. We told them we got inspiration from them. That was our way to boost each other's confidence.

How did you take the news about the chemical spill?

Alexandra: Our plan to dive the morning of June 27 did not push through because the other divers told us we were going to be tested for a possible contamination from the oil spill or the decomposing bodies at the wreck. We were told later that day about the chemicals.

Vanessa: At first we thought they were just joking, but when I got to check that there was an order for us to be brought to the hospital, I felt worried.

Looking back, had I known about the chemicals, I would still dive. This is a once in a lifetime experience. In fact, more than the pesticides, we were more concerned about the oil spill. So far we do not feel differently, so I guess we are fine.

When did you start volunteer work?

Vanessa: I attribute all these things we are doing to how we were brought up. We were exposed to volunteer work.

As early as 16 years old, I was already facilitating summer camps for children at our school. At 20 I remember teaching sports to poor kids who do not get to play because they have to work for their families. The training I got started and prepared me for more volunteer work.

That's the beauty of volunteering, once you experience it, you will keep on doing it. It is a nice experience that changes you and makes you grow better as a person. The sense of purpose is not something superficial -- it is a natural high.

Alexandra: How we were brought up, like what my sister was saying, made an impact. The way our parents have also gone out of their way in helping others and counseling addicts brought in us this nature to care for others. We were always brought up to give to others. We were never spoiled. We weren't given much money when we were kids; we had to work for it. We have been exposed to all levels of society at an early age, so we can relate to and feel comfortable with people from all walks of life.

Article Source: UCAN