By Balqis Jazimah Zahari
Photo Maritim Malaysia
LUMUT: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritim Malaysia) Perak State Maritime managed to rescue 12 local fishermen who were facing an anxious moment when the boat they were on suffered damage to the steering system at a position of 24 nautical miles southeast of Pulau Jarak at around 4.56pm yesterday.
Perak State Maritime Director, Maritime Captain Mohd Hambali Ya’akup said, information about the incident was obtained from (MRSC) Langkawi regarding the detection of distress from the Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) belonging to one of the victims.
“KM TUGAU (rescue team name) which was conducting routine patrols through OP PINTAS, OP SAYONG and OP TIRIS has been mobilised to the location and conducted a search within a radius of five to eight nautical miles.
“The boat that was found was towed by a rescue boat while being escorted by KM TUGAU to the platform of Bagan Parit 4, Hutan Melintang at around 12.46 this afternoon,” he said in a statement here today.
Mohd Hambali said, “All the rescued fishermen are in stable condition.
“The maritime community recommends making proper preparations before going to sea and suspending any activity in case of rough sea conditions.
“Make sure the boat is in good condition and equipped with equipment such as life jackets, communication devices and PLB devices to face any emergency situation. Comply with the laws set. Maritime Malaysia will not compromise on any party that commits any wrongdoing to ensure the safety and sovereignty of the country’s waters are always preserved,” he said.
