Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri director Mohd Shafie Paing said all the victims were found safe around 10am yesterday after spending six days adrift.

“They were picked up by a passing boat approximately 75 nautical miles from the mouth of the Miri River at about 10am yesterday.

“The four victims aged between 25 and 44 were then transferred to KM Tabah vessel to be taken to the Marine Bay jetty here for further action,” he said in a statement today.

Upon their arrival at the jetty at around 6pm, the victims were given a checkup by Ministry of Health personnel and later taken to Miri Hospital for treatment.

“The victims were in a weak state due to dehydration,” said Mohd Shafie.

According to him, the victims had been fishing since Jan 29 and their boat sank early Jan 30 after being struck by waves.

In this regard,  Mohd Shafie urged the maritime community to ensure that their boats are in good condition and to cancel their intention to go to sea in case of bad weather.

“If there is an urgent need to go to sea, they are advised to always wear a life jacket and carry a Personal Locater Beacon (PLB) device with them to facilitate the rescue team to go the emergency location,” he said.

Mohd Shafie also advised members of the maritime community to report any emergency situation at sea to the Miri Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 085-418204 or Sarawak Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432544 or 082-432016 or MERS 999 around the clock.