The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has successfully towed a fishing boat that was rammed by a foreign vessel leaving three trawlers dead in the South China Sea.

The PCG's Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan said they retrieved the capsized FB Dearyn on October 15, following maritime aerial surveys to determine its location.

The fishing boat was hit a Marshall-islands flagged vessel off Pangasinan province on October 2, killing three Filipino fishermen and leaving eight crew stranded in the open sea amid tensions with China in the contested waters.

The FB Dearyn was successfully refloated on October 14 and then towed to the shores of Subic City in Zambales province on October 15 evening.

In a statement on October 16, the PCG said: 'The retrieval of the F/Bca DEARYN is essential for the ongoing investigation by the PCG Fact-Finding Committee. The Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory will then evaluate the physical evidence of the accident, including the scuff marks, to help identify the vessel of interest (VOI) responsible for the very serious maritime casualty.'

Authorities have identified the foreign oil tanker as the MT Pacific Anna registered in the Marshall Islands.

The PCG said it was still investigating the incident and will submit its findings to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.