Search resumes for missing five in Pulau Nunuyan boat capsize incident

KOTA KINABALU: The search-and-rescue operation for five missing people, including two children, resumed on Saturday (March 2) after a boat with 11 passengers onboard capsized in waters off Pulau Nunuyan in Sabah's east coast.

Sandakan Zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy operation director Maritime Commander Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid said eight boats from the MMEA, navy and marine police were deployed to search for the missing five since 7am.

He said the search area was divided into six sectors covering 187 nautical miles around Pulau Nunuyan involving some 111 personnel to locate the missing five – two men, a woman and two girls aged one and eight.

Search and rescue workers believe the skipper of the boat, which was on its way from the southern Philippines island of Taganak to Sandakan, managed to save himself and fled after the boat capsized on Thursday (Feb 28) evening.

At about 4pm on Friday (March 1), the body of a seven-year-old boy was recovered floating about 100m from the capsized boat while five other passengers were rescued by the navy that was carrying out exercises in the area at around noon Friday.

The rescued victims (three men and two women) were found hanging on to the capsized boat and waving for help as a navy patrol boat came to their aid.

One of the five survivors, Idaris Ismail said they were clinging to the boat for nearly 18 hours after their boat capsized in rough sea conditions.

The group, who claimed to be holders of the IMM13 pass issued to Filipino refugees who fled to in the 1970s, are believed to be sneaking into Sandakan illegally from Taganak Island.

However, MMEA investigators are checking into their claims to be IMM13 holders as they suspect they might have been entering the state illegally.