Body of missing fisherman found in Sarawak waters - MMEA

KUCHING - The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has found the body of a local fisherman, Wong Pak Wei, 30, who was reported missing last Monday after the boat he was on sunk in waters near Tanjung Jerijih, around 447 kilometres (km) north of here this morning.

MMEA Tanjung Manis Maritime Zone director Gilbert Tinggak Numpang said the Kuching Maritime Rescue Sub Center (MRSC) received a call from Wong’s father around 8.55 pm yesterday about the discovery of a possible body at the sunken boat’s wheelhouse as they were conducting work to raise the boat.

"The victim’s father also said that there was a need to conduct a dive to remove the possible body that they feared was trapped in the boat,” he said in a statement today.

A rescue team was mobilised this morning due to weather factors and limited visibility at night at the location of the incident.

"At around 9.25 am, the rescue team along with the dive team reached the location and found the body floating at the surface. Based on preliminary identification by the next-of-kin, they confirmed that it was the body of Wong Pak Wei,” he said, adding that the search and rescue operation was subsequently called off at 12.15 am and the body was handed over to the police for further action.

Media outlets reported on Wednesday that Wong had gone missing at around 6.30 pm on Monday and that he had been on the boat with five other crew members, two locals, two Indonesians and a Myanmar national. - BERNAMA