by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 15: Seven fishermen were rescued after the boat they were on capsized off the northern coast of Tanjung Po, near Santubong, yesterday evening.
The anglers were left adrift at sea for nearly four hours after their boat sank, reportedly due to a leak.
All seven were wearing life jackets and managed to stay afloat in open waters until they were rescued by a passing merchant vessel at approximately 3.30pm.
Sarawak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Mohd Khairi Abd Aziz said the Kuching Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) was alerted at 4.45pm by the Kuching Port Authority, following a distress signal received via radio from the MTT Lumut merchant ship at 4.23pm.
“All victims were successfully rescued by the MTT Rajang which happened to be near the location of the incident,” he said in a statement today.
The MMEA immediately deployed Boat KILAT 35 to the meeting point with the MTT Rajang to bring the victims to land.
All victims arrived safely at the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex Jetty (KOMTAS) at 7.08pm.
Mohd Khairi reminded the maritime community to always prioritise safety when going out to sea, including wearing life jackets, inspecting boats before sailing and monitoring weather conditions.
“Safety at sea cannot be taken lightly. These basic measures must be given serious attention,” he said.
The public is also urged to immediately report any emergencies or suspicious activities at sea to the Sarawak State Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432006 or the emergency line 999 for immediate action. – DayakDaily
