Three men were rescued from a tugboat adrift near Pantai Batu Rakit; all six crew members are safe and their employer will arrange their return
KUALA TERENGGANU: Three Indonesian nationals were rescued from a tugboat adrift off the coast of Pantai Batu Rakit here on Saturday evening.
Kuala Nerus Fire and Rescue Station chief Azmi Omar said the men were rescued at approximately 6.20 pm using a rope method.
The rope was attached to the boat and secured to breakwater rocks after a contractor used an excavator to pull the vessel about 50 metres to the beach.
“Firefighters and contractors took about an hour and a half to pull the boat to the shore,” Azmi said.
He added that the victims were rescued by swinging them to land using the ropes.
“Our concern was that they might fall while hanging out because the waves were very strong. But Alhamdulillah, all the victims were finally rescued,” he said.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor confirmed all six Indonesian crew members are now at the Batu Rakit police station.
Their employer has been instructed to handle their return travel arrangements.
Azli said all six men, aged between 20 and 38, possessed valid identification documents and permits.
The tugboat was reportedly en route to tow a sand-laden barge from Songkhla, Thailand, to Punggol, Singapore. – Bernama
