TANJUNG MANIS: After spending 18 hours floating out in the sea with life jackets after their fishing boat capsized in Tanjung Jerijeh due to bad weather, five of the six anglers were rescued by local fishermen yesterday.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tanjung Manis Zone director Commander Maritim Gilbert Tinggak Numpang said today (April 5) the survivors comprised two locals, two Indonesians and a Myanmar national.
He said six persons, including the skipper, were onboard the boat when a storm struck, causing the boat to capsize around 6.30 pm on Monday (April 3).
“The victims were wearing life jackets and floated in the open sea for 18 hours before a local fishing boat rescued them around 12.40 pm yesterday.
“The survivors were then brought to the Belawai Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) jetty before being taken to the Belawai health clinic for treatment.
“The sixth individual is still missing and has been identified as the skipper Wong Pek Kaw, who was reportedly shirtless and only wearing shorts,” he said.
Gilbert said they had received a report around 10.35 am yesterday on the incident some seven nautical miles northwest of Tanjung Jerijeh.
Following that, a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched and a control post was established at the Belawai LKIM jetty.
At press time, the search is still ongoing.
Gilbert advised the maritime community to ensure that their boats are in good condition. They should cancel any plans to go out to sea during bad weather.
They should also prioritise safety by wearing a life jacket and carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) device to facilitate rescuers to the emergency site.
