KUALA LUMPUR: An AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) crashed in the waters near Pulau Angsa, Kuala Selangor this morning.
“We received an emergency call at about 10 am and preliminary reports indicate that four victims were rescued by fishermen,” Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said when contacted by Bernama.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) also confirmed the incident.
CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said they were still gathering information on the incident.
“Yes, there was such an incident. We will issue a statement in a while,“ he told Bernama.
MMEA, when contacted, also said it would be issuing a statement.
In a separate statement, MMEA said the incident happened at about 9.55 am when the helicopter was making an emergency landing during the rescue training exercise.
MMEA director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin said the CAAM and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Putrajaya activated a search and rescue operation (SAR) at 10.15 am on receiving an emergency call from anglers.
He identified the victims as Lieutenant Commander (M) Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria, Lieutenant Commander (M) Mohamad Azrol Saidi, who are both pilots, Warrant Officer I (M) John Ibno and Petty Officer (M) Muhamad Nurhayyat Hashim, who is a rescue swimmer.
“Maritime assets dispatched to the incident location were Bot Pengawal 25 from Selangor, RH 16 and PSC 39 boats from Port Klang Marine Police and an MMEA AS 365 N3 Dauphine aircraft from the Subang Maritime Air Station (SUMS).
“All the AW139 crew members were rescued by the AS 365 N3 aircraft and flown to SUMS,” he said.
Hamid said anglers on a boat near the scene had given initial assistance to the crew members.
He said 10 members of the Special Action and Rescue Team (STAR Team) and KM Bagan Datuk were also deployed to the location for security control.
He said the SAR was called off at 11.15 am and MMEA is investigating the cause of the incident. -Bernama
