KUANTAN: Two anglers and a fisherman were reported missing in separate incidents in Rompin waters on Saturday.
Pahang Maritime director, Maritime Rear Admiral Datuk Zulkarnain Mohd Omar said in the first incident, which occurred at about 9am, two anglers were feared to have drowned after the boat they were on with eight others suffered a leak and sank about 1.9 nautical miles near Pulau Layak, Tanjung Gemok, Rompin.
“At 4pm on Friday, the 10 men, including the skipper, had gone out to sea to fish but, on their way back the next day, the boat sprang a leak and sank.
“The two men reported missing have been identified as Alfa Rizuan Abd Aziz and Azwan Abu Bakar, who are both from Johor,“ he said when contacted by Bernama today.
The other eight were rescued 10 hours later by a passing fishing boat and taken to the Tanjung Gemuk jetty.
He said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has launched a search-and-rescue operation with the assistance of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Meanwhile, a fisherman was also reported missing after falling into the sea while catching fish at about 2pm on Saturday about 6.8 nautical miles from the Kuala Rompin Jetty.
“The victim, identified as Sahidi Sahidin, 41, is a local and a missing report was lodged by the boat’s owner,“ he said.
Maritime Malaysia is actively conducting search operations to find all three men with the help of the local fishermen’s association. — Bernama
