LABUAN — Police and related agencies have launched a search-and-rescue (SAR) operation for a 26-year-old local fisherman believed to have fallen overboard while fishing in the waters off Pohon Batu early Wednesday morning.
Labuan police chief Supt Wan Mohd Firdaus Wan Zaki said police received a report from the victim’s employer at 10.20 am after the vessel’s captain discovered that one of the workers was missing.
“Preliminary investigations found that the victim was a 26-year-old local fisherman who had been setting fishing nets using a small boat.
“However, he was found missing during a check, while the small boat was discovered drifting at the scene without him,” he said in a statement today.
Wan Mohd Firdaus said the vessel’s crew initially searched the surrounding waters but failed to locate the fisherman before lodging a police report.
“Following the report, police initiated action at the scene and coordinated the SAR operation with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Labuan Marine Police.
“A total of 10 officers and personnel have been deployed to locate the victim,” he said.
Police also advised fishing operators and fishermen to prioritise safety at sea, including wearing life jackets and complying with established operating procedures to reduce the risk of accidents.
