GEORGE TOWN: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for Brazilian Lucas Bondezan, who went missing after the luxury yacht he was in caught fire and capsized off Penang yesterday, has been called off after the second day of search yielded no result.
It will resume again tomorrow morning.
Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) northern region maritime director First Admiral Tan Kok Kwee said today's SAR operation was marred by bad weather, including rain and rough seas.
He said the SAR operation had been extended to a 10-mile radius from 5-mile the previous day, where the yacht capsized, off Muka Head here.
He added that two MMEA vessels -- KM Tugau and KM Kimanis -- along with a helicopter had been roped in to assist in the operation.
"We have extended the radius of search from where the victim was reported to have jumped overboard when the incident occured.
"At this point in time, anything is possible. We are still searching for the missing victim," he told the New Straits Times when contacted.
Bondezan, 24, was among four crew members of the luxury yacht, UN1K, which capsized some 15 nautical miles northwest of Muka Head about 3am on Friday.
It is learnt that the yacht, en route to Singapore from a yacht club in Langkawi at 7pm, had experienced technical problems in the engine room before it caught fire and later an explosion.
The other three crew members, who were rescued by a local fishing vessel, received treatment at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Kedah. They have been identified as Jaroslav Horejsek, 37, from the Czech Republic who suffered serious injuries on his leg; Rudolf Kolic, from Croatia, also suffered injuries on the leg and Novak Novakovic from Serbia.