JOHOR BARU: A search and rescue operation is being conducted for a man who fell overboard while fishing for prawns near Johor Port in Pasir Gudang on Monday (April 21).
Pasir Gudang fire station senior commander Sarhan Akmal Mohamad said they received a distress call regarding the incident at around 1.10pm.
“A team from the station arrived at the scene 17 minutes later
“The man was reported to have fallen from a boat during prawn-netting activity in waters between Malaysia and Singapore.
“The location was identified based on information provided by the victim’s brother,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (April 22).
A total of 28 personnel from several stations including Pasir Gudang, Skudai, Johor Jaya and Larkin were involved in the operation, along with the underwater rescue unit from Skudai.
Three divers conducted searches at depths of up to 20m.
The operation was called off temporarily at 7.30pm on Monday because of poor visibility and shipping activity near the port.
The multi-agency response team includes the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Civil Defence Force (APM), Johor Port Police, Johor Port Fire Brigade, and the port’s emergency ambulance team.
Seri Alam OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Sohaimi Ishak, when contacted, confirmed the case and said the victim is a 49-year-old man who catches prawns for a living.
