Body Believed to Be Missing Angler Found Wearing Life Jacket, Tied to Barrel

KLANG: A body believed to be that of one of three anglers still missing following a boat capsize was found in Perak waters on Wednesday, the third day of the search and rescue (SAR) operation.

North Klang District Deputy Police Chief Superintendent Mohd Rahimi Zainol said the body was discovered at about 7.30 am by a fishing boat in the waters off Hutan Melintang, Perak.

He said the man was found wearing a life jacket and tied to a barrel.

“So far, four victims have been found alive, while one has been confirmed dead.

“The identification process is underway, and the victim is being taken to hospital for further examination,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Earlier, the media reported that the four survivors were identified as Mohd Shairazi Abdul Aziz, 43, Mohd Rizal Mohamad Sadali, 45, Muhd Hamiszar Punirain, 45, and the boat skipper, Zulfikalnain Awang, 47.

Two of the victims were taken to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) for further treatment, while the other two were taken to Banting Hospital for medical examinations.

However, three other victims remained missing — Muhamad Ridzuan Ruhaizat, 37, Mohd Shahril Abd Rahman, 43, and Raja Mohd Rozi Raja Mohamad, 49.

Mohd Rahimi said that based on information provided by the survivors, the three missing victims were believed to have been individually tied to barrels while wearing life jackets.

“According to the survivors, all seven of them were thrown into the water when the boat capsized. Initially, they held hands and stayed together as a group.

“However, as they became exhausted and dehydrated due to a lack of water, they had to let go of one another, one by one,” he said.

Mohd Rahimi said the third day of the SAR operation involved four agencies and a total of 47 personnel.

He said assets deployed by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) included a Marine Police Force boat and another boat for operations along the coastline.

“Today’s operation began at 7 am and will continue until 7 pm, with the search area remaining unchanged for the time being.

“However, there is a possibility that the search area will be expanded in the coming days,” he said.

He added that the four survivors were currently receiving treatment at Banting Hospital and Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang.

Sinar Harian