The yacht anchored at 1.5 nautical miles southeast of Muara Jepak while waiting for the rescue team.
BINTULU (Feb 11): Two people were rescued after their Suntess yacht sprung a leak while en route to Lungsod Ng Bacolod in the Philippines from Bintulu Port on Saturday morning.
According to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Bintulu Maritime Zone director Captain Mohd Iszuadi Mohamad Hassan, a report of the incident was received at 4.23am at 1.5 nautical miles southeast of Muara Jepak.
He said there were two crew members on board, a Chinese woman and a Saint Kitts and Nevis man.
The yacht is said to have full life jacket sets, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).
“After receiving the report, the search and rescue operation was activated at around 4.30am and the KILAT 44 rescue boat was deployed to the location.
“When the KILAT 44 boat arrived at 6.25am 1.5 nautical miles southeast of Muara Jepak, maritime personnel assisted in pumping water out of the yacht’s hull to prevent it from sinking,” he said.
He added for safety reasons, the yacht was advised to dock at the adjacent tugboat MERANTI 33, which happened to be in the nearby area.
Throughout the operation, the sea conditions were poor, with winds gusting at 20-30km/h from the northeast and waves ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 metres high.
After five hours of operation, the MMEA crew was able to control the leak, and the yacht was escorted to the Jepak Jetty by the KILAT 44 boat.
The operation ended as soon as the yacht arrived safely at the Jepak jetty around 2pm.
Iszuadi reminded the maritime community to always use caution when engaging in any activity at sea, particularly during the northeast monsoon season, and to prioritise personal safety by wearing a life jacket.
For emergencies or complaints about illegal activity, call Sarawak Malaysian Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432544 or MERS 999, which operates 24 hours a day for prompt action.