LANGKAWI, Aug 22 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is conducting a search and rescue (SAR) operation for a man suspected of falling into the sea after his boat collided with a buoy, south of Pulau Lalang, near here, this morning.
Kedah and Perlis Maritime director, Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said since the 10 am incident that occurred 0.5 nautical miles off the island, Mohamad Ewandi Husnan, 22, was still missing after falling overboard.
“The fibre boat carrying four men, aged between 18 and 53, had collided with a buoy and caused all the victims to be thrown into the sea.
“However, a local fishing boat managed to rescue three of the victims at 10.20 am. However, the fourth victim has yet to be found,” he said in a statement, here, today.
He said a MMEA boat was deployed to the scene, and a SAR operation in the area had been ongoing until 7.30 pm today and would resume at 7 am tomorrow.
“The victims are believed to be returning home after a fishing trip before the boat hit the buoy. The boat was found stranded at Pulau Lalang at 12.20 pm. One of the victims suffered a broken nose while the other two were slightly injured,” he added.
Mohd Zawawi reminded the maritime community not to go out to sea in bad weather and if necessary, prioritise safety by always wearing a life jacket. — Bernama
