KUALA SELANGOR: Angler who immediately contacted the emergency hotline allowed immediate rescue efforts to be carried out after a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) helicopter crashed in the waters of Pulau Angsa on Tuesday (March 5) morning.
Mohd Riduan Kulop Ahmad, 38, related how he and seven others were fishing when they saw a helicopter flying at a low altitude and spinning before crashing into the sea.
"I immediately contacted the 999 emergency hotline to inform authorities about the crash.
"Shortly after, I saw rescue personnel arriving to assist those in the helicopter," he said in a brief video.
MMEA director-general Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin, issued a statement confirming that an MMAE AW 139 helicopter with registration number M72-01 made an emergency landing in the waters of Pulau Angsa, confirming videos and photos that went viral on social media.
He said the helicopter was piloted by Maritime Lt Cmdr Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria and Maritime Lt Cmdr Mohamad Azrol Saidi, with two other crew members on board.
After a call was made to the MERS 999 hotline by witnesses, a search and rescue operation was launched by the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) and the Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at 10.15am.
All victims were successfully rescued by local fishermen before being flown to the Subang Maritime Air Station in an AS 365 N3 aircraft. – Bernama
