(Kuching, 13th) An Indonesian captain recently experienced a thrilling ordeal when the fishing vessel he was piloting drifted for nearly 10 days due to engine failure, before running aground yesterday at Telaga Air jetty.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak division director Admiral Mohd Khairi Aziz stated that villagers in Telaga Air were the first to notice the incident. Upon seeing the out-of-control fishing boat approach the jetty, they immediately alerted the Kuching Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre.
After receiving the report, the Sarawak MMEA quickly dispatched a team to the scene, finding the captain exhausted but unharmed. Further inspection revealed that the vessel had run out of fuel, and both its gearbox and navigation systems were damaged, which caused the captain to drift and be unable to return to his home country.
Subsequently, the Kuching Maritime Enforcement Agency lodged a report with the Batu Kawa Police Station and handed the captain over to representatives from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching for further arrangements.