TV reporter trapped in Taal volcano crater, rescued after 5 hours

A television reporter reporting on the condition of the Taal Volcano suddenly became the center of attention when he was trapped in its crater. A radio report quoted Lt. Commander Troy Cornelio, chief of the Philippine Coast Guard-Batangas, as identifying the TV reporter as Joshua Garcia of the Global News Network (GNN).

A resident looks at the crater of the Taal Volcano in this June 11, 2010 photo. The volcano is located about 85 kilometers south of Manila. On Thursday, it took rescuers five hours to rescue a TV reporter trapped in the crater. AP File photo

Cornelio said Garcia and his crew sought his office’s permission at about 10 a.m. to trek through communities in the vicinity of the volcano to check up on Barangay Tabla and interview its residents. The Coast Guard chief granted the TV crew's request. Cornelio, however, was unaware that Garcia was planning to go further into the volcano. Authorities said Garcia later descended into the volcano's crater, but could not climb back up due to the crater's steepness. Alerted, Coast Guard officials rushed to the crater and carried out a rescue operation. Five hours later, an exhausted Garcia emerged from the crater with only minor scratches. Territorial jurisdiction of the island volcano is shared by the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas, both in Batangas province. A volcanic Alert Level 2 is currently in place on the island due to increased volcanic activity in the last two weeks. The GNN is a Philippines-based news and information channel operated by Global Destiny Cable.—Mark D. Merueñas/JV, GMANews.TV