Five Thai Boat Crew Members Rescued After Adrift For 17 Hours

KOTA TINGGI, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- Five crew members of a Thai cruise boat that sank in the waters off Tanjung Sedili on Thursday had to cling to the boat and float for nearly 17 hours before they were rescued by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

MMEA Tanjung Sedili Zone acting director Commander Maritime Mohd Najib said his team received an emergency report at 9 pm indicating that the boat, while en route to Singapore, had sprung a leak.

However, darkness and limited visibility made it difficult for the MMEA, who were immediately deployed to the scene, to carry out their search efforts.

"At around 8.30 am yesterday (Friday), all the victims were found adrift in the sea by local fishermen at approximately 7.1 nautical miles east of Tanjung Siang, and were brought to the Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal before receiving initial treatment from the staff," he said in a statement.

All the male victims, aged between 43 and 74 years old, were reported to be stable and did not suffer serious injuries, and have been handed over to Thai Embassy officials for further action.

-- BERNAMA