Missing MH370: Fishermen discover life raft off Port Dickson (Updated)

PORT DICKSON: A group of fishermen out at sea claimed to have found what looked like a life raft some 10 nautical miles off the resort town here.

They claimed to have discovered the life-raft object with the words "Boarding" printed on it at about noon on Tuesday.

However, a maritime official said the object was normally found in sea vessels and not from the missing MAS aircraft.

"Based on preliminary investigations, we feel that the object is used by sea vessels and not in aircraft. But we can't conclude anything until we find it," he told The Star on Wednesday.

Fisherman Azman Mohamad, 40, had notified the authorities upon making the discovery.

"We have been following the news of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight and were concerned if this could have been a life raft from the aircraft," he said, adding that a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) vessel form Kuala Linggi in Malacca was immediately dispatched to the area. 

Azman said the fishermen managed to secure the raft to their boat while waiting for the MMEA team. But the raft had sunk when it was being handed over to the MMEA officials.