MERSING: A 32-year-old fisherman was reported missing after falling overboard from a fishing boat while tugging the fishing net near Pulau Pemanggil, here.
Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the incident occurred at 4.10pm on Friday (March 8) and the agency activated the search and rescue operation at 5pm.
“The victim, identified as Sufian Alwi, 32, is a local man who worked as a crew on a fishing boat.
“The victim was last seen wearing green short pants and was shirtless; he had fallen into the ocean located around 3.3 nautical miles (6.1km) northwest of Pulau Pemanggil.
“During the incident, the victim, together with the other four crew members, had just finished tugging on their fishing net when the victim suddenly disappeared,” he said in a statement here on Saturday (March 9).
Nurul Hizam added that the second day of the search and rescue operation was also joined by the marine police, the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Fisheries Department, Mersing Fishermen Association, and the local fishing community.
“The operation started at 7am and was coordinated by the Johor Baru Maritime Rescue SubCentre (MRSC).
“The search area was divided into four sectors involving 74 nautical square miles,” he added.
He also advised all fishing communities to prioritise their safety, especially when going out to sea, and to postpone any fishing activities during bad weather.
