LABUAN: Four anglers are stranded at sea after their boat suffered an engine malfunction and drifted away from Pulau Tiga near Labuan on Saturday.
It is understood that the group had set off from Labuan at about 4pm, but were forced to drop anchor when the sea became choppy due to a rainstorm. After almost eight hours on the open sea, the boat’s anchor broke loose and the anglers decided to make an attempt to return to Labuan.
But the boat’s engine stopped functioning soon after, leaving the group stranded and drifting freely.
A patrol vessel from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) spotted the boat from a distance on Sunday, but personnel have been unable to carry out a rescue due to the extremely bad weather.
"Our team spotted the boat about 15 nautical miles from Tanjung Kubung at about 6.50pm. The anglers are safe but tired," Labuan MMEA deputy director (operation) Commander Nor Bakari Abu Bakar said, adding that the agency had received a report on the boat at 11am on Sunday from the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department.
Nor Bakari stressed that the agency takes the safety of people at sea very seriously and urged the public to avoid conducting sea activities during bad weather.