ALOR SETAR, Aug 7 — Six anglers survived a 16-hour ordeal after the boat they were in capsized 8.2 nautical miles southeast of Pulau Timun near Langkawi yesterday.
Kedah/Perlis MMEA director First Admiral (maritime) Romli Mustafa said the agency received a report of the incident from a fisherman at 8.55 am.
The boat was reported to have sunk at 6pm yesterday due to bad weather. A Perkasa 1228 boat was then deployed to the location where six individuals were seen floating.
“All the victims were rescued by local fishermen who were in the area. They were later transferred onto the Perkasa 1228 boat and taken to the Bukit Malut jetty in Langkawi,” he said in a statement here today.
He said the victims, aged between 34 and 70 years, were heading back home to Kuala Perlis at about 4pm after their fishing expedition.
He said the boat began taking on water and was sinking fast. Fortunately all the passengers had their life jackets on and managed to cling onto the boat.
“One of the passengers was rushed to Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi for treatment due to exhaustion after the 16-hour ordeal,” he said.
Romli said those who wish to pursue activities at sea are reminded to take safety measures such as wearing a life jacket, checking the weather forecast, ensure their boat is in good condition and to bring along a personal locator beacon (PLB).
“The Kedah and Perlis State Maritime Operations Centre urges the public to report any emergency or accident through its online 24 hours emergency line MERS 999 or the Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 04-9662750,” he added. — Bernama
