KOTA TINGGI: A 17-hour ordeal for five Thai leisure boat crew members floating in the South China Sea came to an end when they were rescued by local fishermen.
The Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) received an emergency call regarding the incident on Thursday (Feb 5) at 9pm.
“We were informed that the boat was travelling from Thailand to Singapore when it experienced leaks off Malaysian waters in Tanjung Sedili,’’ Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tanjung Sedili Zone acting director Commander Maritime Mohd Najib Sam said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 6).
He said a search and rescue (SAR) operation was immediately activated at the location where the boat was last seen, the same day after MMEA lost contact with the crew.
“However, our men were facing difficulties during the initial SAR operation due to darkness and limited visibility,’’ said Commander Maritime Mohd Najib.
He said the Thai male crew, aged 43 to 74, who had been clinging to jerry cans for 17 hours, were discovered and rescued by local fishermen.
“The victims were found floating 7.1 nautical miles (13.14 km) off Tanjung Siang near here on Friday (Feb 6) at 8.30am,’’ said Commander Maritime Mohd Najib.
He said the victims were brought to the Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal for treatment by the paramedic team, adding that they sustained no injuries.
“After the medical examinations, they were brought to the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone Office to be handed over to the Thai Embassy officials for further action,’’ said Commander Maritime Mohd Najib
