SAR for fishing boat crew called off

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Effendy (right) talks to the victim’s family members.

BINTULU (April 16): The search and rescue (SAR) operation for a local fishing boat crew who fell into Igan waters in Mukah was terminated yesterday following no new indicators or clues.

The victim, identified as Azrie Shafian Floren, 28, was believed to have fallen into the sea about 19 nautical miles off Kuala Igan on April 11.

Acting director of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Bintulu Zone Effendy Mohamed Fadil said in a statement that the five-day search covered over 254.15 square nautical miles around the coastal area from Kuala Igan to Mukah.

He said the operation which was officially terminated at 1pm would be reactivated if there was new information or clues.

Effendy extended his appreciation to all agencies including the local maritime community involved in the search.

He advised the maritime community to prioritise safety by always wearing a safety jacket and bringing along a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) device to ease locating victims in the event of emergencies.

MMEA Bintulu operations centre can be reached at 086-314237.