Couple falls off boat in Tawau Pulau Sebatik waters, husband missing

KOTA KINABALU: A 56-year-old man is still missing while his wife suffered leg injury when they fell off their boat around Pulau Sebatik in Tawau.

The couple, Abdul Rahim Kasil and Lina Arifin, fell into the sea after their vessel hit something in the water about five nautical miles from Sungai Melayu jetty on Friday (June 9).

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), which was first notified of the incident, rushed to the scene before the Fire and Rescue Department was called in to start a search and rescue operation (SAR) for the missing victim.

An integrated operation involving other related agencies was activated following a report received at 11.07am, said the department spokesman.

"Search area covered around Sungai Melayu and the wider Pulau Sebatik waters.

"The operation was called off at 6pm and will be continued tomorrow (June 10)," the spokesman added.

Meanwhile Tawau zone MMEA director Maritime Captain Shahrizan Raman said according to eyewitnesses in another boat, the boat which the couple were on went out of control and rocked after hitting something, causing the pair to fall off.

He said the wife was rescued by the fishermen nearby and has been sent to the Tawau district hospital for treatment.