Bugsuk Island

Bugsuk Island is an island in the Palawan region, Philippines. Its area is 119 kmĀ².

History

Eight crewmembers of the USS Flier reached Bugsuk Island after their submarine struck a mine on Aug. 13, 1944 while on surface patrol during World War II. The survivors, who had been on deck and in the conning tower when the explosion occurred, swam 18 hours to reach an atoll near Bugsuk. Over the next three days, they swam to two other islands before landing on Bugsuk and being helped by Filipino guerrillas. Seventy-eight men died on the Flier, including seven who escaped the sub but didn't survive the swim. Source: U.S. Navy news release [1] and interview with Steve Jacobson, a son of one of the survivors, Ensign Al Jacobson.