• 2025-08-05 09:54 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU: The search for a Turkiye national missing in the waters off Pulau Yu has entered its sixth day with no significant progress. Eser Demirkol, 52, remains unlocated despite extensive efforts by rescue teams.

Terengganu Maritime director Captain Maritime Hamiludin Che Awang stated that adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and rough seas, have complicated the operation. “The sixth day of SAR efforts, which began at 7 am, was suspended at 7 pm and will resume tomorrow at 7.30 am,“ he said.

The search area remains focused near the sunken yacht and the spot where the second victim, Ahmet Volkan Ata, 52, was found—five nautical miles from Pulau Yu. A diving team deployed a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) but found no leads by 6.50 pm.

Meanwhile, the two survivors, Volkan Ata and Ates Demiroren, 42, have been discharged from the hospital after their conditions stabilised. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) urged the public to report any sightings of suspicious objects near the incident area to the Terengganu Maritime Operations Centre at 09-6224357.

The trio, participants in a sailing expedition, were returning to Turkiye when their yacht ‘Daisy’ sank last Tuesday after being struck by a storm. - Bernama