By Aida Aziz
LUMUT — A Thai fishing crewman who was reported missing after falling into the sea off Pantai Remis waters on Thursday was found safe by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Perak.
Perak Maritime director Maritime Captain Mohamad Shukri Khotob said the victim, identified as 51-year-old Sunthorn, was believed to have swum ashore before seeking help from members of the public.
He said the Perak Maritime Operations Centre received a report regarding the disappearance of a crewman from local fishing vessel KHF 2527, who was believed to have fallen into the sea while the vessel was at sea at about 10.50pm on Thursday.
Following the report, the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Langkawi, acting as the coordinating centre, deployed patrol vessel KM NUSA, PERKASA 1238 boat and BENTENG 1203 boat to the victim’s last known location.
Search and rescue operations were carried out in the waters around Pulau Talang, with assistance from nearby vessels operating within the search sector.
Mohamad Shukri said the operation took into account current weather conditions, including northwesterly winds of between 10 and 20 kilometres per hour, wave heights of 0.5 to 1.0 metres, and thunderstorms in several areas.
“At about 11.35am, the victim was found safe and handed over to the vessel owner for further action,” he said in a statement today.
The MMEA also expressed its appreciation to all parties involved, particularly maritime personnel, assets and members of the maritime community who assisted in locating and rescuing the victim.
