Sand Dredger Sinks, All 19 Crew Members Rescued

PARIT BUNTAR: All 19 crew members of the sand dredger MV Vivo Arya, which reportedly sank about 25 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Pasir Hitam, Perak, yesterday, have been successfully rescued.

Perak Maritime Director Maritime Captain Zainudin Mohd Zuki said one crew member who was initially reported missing was also found safe during the search and rescue (SAR) operation.

He said the Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone Headquarters Operations Centre received an emergency call through the 999 hotline at 5.53 am before the rescue operation was activated at 6.30 am.

“The operation involved Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) assets, namely KM Gagah and Perkasa 1238 boat, with assistance from the maritime community in the surrounding area,” he said in a statement today.

Zainudin said nine crew members were rescued by the sand dredger MV Yaode 1, which was operating near the incident location.

“Another nine crew members who were aboard a life raft were rescued by MV Vivo Diya. All 18 crew members were subsequently taken to Batu Maung Jetty for further action.

“The remaining crew member who had been reported missing, Tang Jifu, 57, a Chinese national, was found safe by Perkasa 1238 boat during the ongoing search and rescue operation,” he said.

He added that the rescued crew member was brought to the Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone Headquarters Jetty before being sent to a nearby hospital for further examination and treatment.

UTUSAN MALAYSIA