KUCHING: Seven anglers endured over four hours of being adrift at sea after their boat capsized off northern Tanjung Po yesterday, before they were rescued by a passing merchant vessel.
The group had set out on a fishing trip when disaster struck at around 11:00 am – a leak in the bilge caused their boat to take in water and eventually sink about 10 nautical miles from the coast.
All seven men relied on their life jackets as they waited helplessly in open waters.
In a stroke of luck, a nearby vessel MTT Rajang spotted them and rescued the anglers at 3:30 pm – more than four hours after their boat sank.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak Director, First Admiral Mohd Khairi Abdul Aziz, said the distress call was first picked up by merchant vessel MTT Lumut at 4:23 pm, which then alerted the Kuching Port Authority.
The incident was later reported to the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kuching at 4:45 pm.
“Upon receiving the alert, MMEA Sarawak dispatched ‘Kilat 35‘ boat to rendezvous with MTT Rajang and transport the exhausted survivors back to shore.
“They arrived safely at the Tun Abang Salahuddin Maritime Complex (KOMTAS) jetty at 7:08 pm,” he said.
In light of this, Khairi reminded the maritime community, especially fishermen and anglers, of how quickly things can go wrong at sea.
“Wearing life jackets, checking the vessel before departure and keeping an eye on the weather are not optional – they are essential. Lives cannot be replaced,” he said.
For any complaints, information, or emergencies at sea, the public is advised to report them to the Sarawak Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432006 to enable a swift response.
