BACHOK - Three fishermen have been reported missing after failing to return home on Sunday (Aug 20) afternoon from their early morning fishing trip in the coastal area of Kuala Kemasin.
The victim’s wife, Nik Suliana Bikri Kamal, 41, said her husband Rohaimi Ahmad, 47, went out with their son Nik Muhamad Shafiq Abdul Hafiz, 21 and his friend, Amir Zulfikar Che Wil, 29, at 3 am on Sunday and were said to have headed towards Pantai Sabak, Kota Bharu.
"My husband borrowed the boat from our son-in-law, Raja Mohd Shamsul Amir Raja Ismail, 31, to go to sea to catch fish and crabs.
"Usually, by 3 pm or 4 pm they would have returned, but they failed to return home and the search was carried out from 6 pm yesterday,” she said when met in Kampung Kemasin here, today.
The mother of the 10 said that she was told by Raja Mohd Shamsul that during his search, other fishermen told him that his father-in-law, Rohaini and the other two, left for home early. They also thought that the three of them had arrived at the Kuala Kemasin jetty.
Nik Suliana said the three fishermen have more than 10 years of fishing experience and are used to going to sea, but there was a storm and thick fog yesterday.
"There may be a change in the weather and they may lose their way to another place. Whatever it is, I pray that they are safe,” she said.
Meanwhile, the head of search and rescue (SAR) operation, Lt Ishak Rahmat, of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Eastern Zone, said a total of six members on land and eight members at sea using one Perkasa 1233 boat were assigned to the Carilamat base at Kuala Kemasin jetty to locate the missing fishermen. - BERNAMA