Kota Kinabalu: Four anglers who were stranded after their boat capsized off Manukan Island, here, were rescued by the Sabah and Labuan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Thursday.
The four – Azmain bin Nulhassan, 23, Al Asim Nasir, 23, Mohammad Fikhri Amri, 22 and Muhammad Aqil Abu Bakar, 22 – were fishing off the island when choppy waters pushed their boat close to some large rocks.
Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sabah and Labuan Director First Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah said their boat hit the rocks and sprang a leak.
He said water quickly filled the boat and it capsized, adding the anglers quickly donned their life jackets, swam towards the shore and held tightly onto the rocks there before calling for help.
Mohd Rosli said a distress call was received at 11.20am and a patrol vessel was despatched to the scene.
He said the victims, who sustained minor cuts and bruises, were rescued at around 12.50pm and taken back to the Jesselton Point Jetty.
Mohd Rosli urged the public to be alert to current weather conditions and be prepared when going out to sea.
He also reminded them to always have their life vests on and ensure that their boats are in good condition, and to also bring along personal locator beacons in case of emergency.
“It is also important to keep your friends and family informed of your location and activities to facilitate search and rescue operations should anything happen,” he added.
He also called on the public to report any criminal or suspicious activities at sea, apart from emergencies, to the MMEA operations call centre at 088-387774 or 999 (MERS).
