BINTULU, Feb 16 — Eight crew members of the Bos Azlina vessel were rescued after it capsized some nine nautical miles Northwest of Kuala Kemena off Bintulu on Wednesday.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Bintulu Maritime Zone director Captain Mohd Iszuadi Muhamad Hassan said the crew members and a skipper were all Indonesians aged between 31 and 48.

In a statement yesterday, he said MMEA received a distress signal from the vessel and deployed Bot Kilat 44 to the location.

"Preliminary information from Bot Kilat 44 informed that the vessel involved was reported to be half submerged with all crew members still onboard.

"While Bot Kilat 44 was on a routine patrol around the waters of Bintulu at approximately 11.56am, the Maritime asset received an emergency signal via very high frequency (VHF) radio regarding the Bos Azlina vessel that was about to sink,” he said.

He said the incident was then reported to the Bintulu Maritime Zone Operations Centre (PUSOP) which later alerted the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kuching for further action.

According to a statement from the skipper of the vessel, he called for a ‘water taxi’ (Kuda Laut 1) to rescue them.

"All the vessel’s crew were safely rescued at around 12.30pm with the help of a water taxi and monitored by Maritime Malaysia,” he said.

Mohd Iszuadi said after nearly an hour, the vessel was fully submerged in the water.

"The cause of the incident is still under investigation while the vessel agent has been contacted and will take action to help the victims,” he said.

The public, especially the maritime community, is advised to always be careful when doing any activity at sea, especially during the northeast monsoon, and always prioritise safety by wearing a life jacket.

MMEA operations centre can be reached on 082-432544 or call MERS 999 which operates 24 hours a day for immediate action. — Borneo Post Online