KUANTAN: The 98 holidaymakers, earlier stranded on Pulau Tioman due to bad weather and rough seas, have safely arrived at the Tanjung Gelang naval base about 7pm.
The Royal Malaysian Navy patrol vessel KD Terengganu departed from Kuantan around 4pm yesterday to assist with transporting the holidaymakers back to the mainland.
They were left stranded at various resorts on the island since Jan 11 after the sea conditions became too dangerous for all shipping and coastal activities, including ferry services.
When Tom Dutton and his two friends arrived at Pulau Tioman on Jan 9, they were looking forward to spend long hours soaking in the sun by the beach.
Sadly, their plans were thwarted when they met with grey skies and the continuous downpour kept them holed in their hotel room at Kampung Tekek. To make matters worse, they had no way of escaping the island due to the rough seas and bad weather.
Today, Dutton, 24, from Manchester, England along with Alex Newby and Ryan Mccoy, both 24, were among the 98 who had to endure a nine-hour trip on board the KD Terengganu, which brought them safely back to the mainland.
Relief was written on their faces as they stepped down from the vessel for a light meal before boarding a chartered bus to their next destination.
Dutton said he and his friends had earlier travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia, and had planned a short getaway to Tioman before leaving for Singapore but sadly the weather left them frustrated.
"We did some checks before coming here but did not expect the monsoon season to completely ruin our plans. We enjoyed the first day at Kampung Juara on the island before it began to rain the following day.
"Since we realised the resort we were staying at was running out of food, we decided to move to Kampung Tekek before moving to Berjaya Resort. We spent long hours watching television in the room and only went down for meals," he said when met at the naval base today.
Newby, an avid traveller, said before arriving in Tioman they had planned to go swimming and snorkelling.
He said when the resort operator informed them that the ferry services have been stopped due to bad weather, they were uncertain when they will be able to leave the island until RMN came to their rescue.
"News that RMN will send their vessel brought joy to the stranded tourists and we are just glad to return to the mainland," he said, expressing his gratitude to RMN sailors who had made their sea trip to the mainland today comfortable.
Meanwhile, Linda Seufert, 18, from Bavaria, Germany said she arrived in Tioman on Jan 9 after spending a week in Kuala Lumpur and was supposed to leave the island two days later.
"I became worried when the resort operator told me the ferry services has stopped but assured us that efforts were done to take us out. This trip has been a new experience for us and also an unforgettable one," she said, adding, she and her friend knew about the monsoon season before arriving in Tioman but did not want to cancel their plans.
Meanwhile, RMN's Naval Region 1 Commander Rear Admiral Datuk Mohamad Adib Abdul Samad said 110 people including 44 local tourists, 54 foreigners and 12 villagers, who were stranded on the island since last week, were brought to the mainland today.
He said the stranded tourists will be sent by bus to Terminal Sentral here and the Mersing jetty in Johor while the villagers boarded the vessel due to work commitments here.
"Three villagers, who were reported ill, were taken to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital," he said, adding the efforts were also coordinated with the National Disaster Management Agency and Civil Defence Force.