A Sarawak Coast Guard vessel participates in the search and rescue operation. – Photo from MMEA
KUCHING (Oct 5): Two Sarawak Coast Guard vessels were deployed today as the search for missing fishing boat first mate Awang Omar Awang Hamsawi around Pulau Satang, Telaga Air entered its fourth day.
Sarawak Maritime Disaster Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit senior assistant director Lt Commander Maritime Nurul Elmi Ali said the operation faced difficult conditions with waves as high as 3.5 metres and a wind speed of 50 km per hour.
“An asset from the Royal Malaysia Police Air Wing Unit (PDU) will fly out twice today at 10am and 1pm to scout the areas from Pulau Satang to Talang-Talang and Tanjung Datu to locate the missing victim,” she said during a briefing at the SAR command centre at the Telaga Air jetty today.
She said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) would focus its search on the coastal waters from Telaga Air to Tanjung Datu.
“Meanwhile, assets from the marine police are combing the area around Talang-Talang and the north of Pulau Satang,” she said.
She also said boats from the Sarawak Marine Fisheries Department are conducting a search along the coastal areas from Sampadi to Santubong.
“The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) will scout for the missing victim around Pulau Satang if the weather conditions permit. If not, they will focus on the coastal and riverine areas. The same goes to the boasts from Civil Defence Force,” said Nurul Elmi.
The search area today would cover an estimated 400 square nautical miles.
On Saturday (Oct 2), a boat carrying 10 people, eight of whom were anglers, capsized around 21 nautical miles off Pulau Satang.
The skipper and the anglers, who were from Peninsula Malaysia, were found alive by another group of fishermen early the next morning.