Race against time to find missing four in Sabah waters

KOTA KINABALU: The search for four people, including a Spanish couple, entered its third day at the crack of dawn as rescuers fight against time to locate them.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Regional Maritime director First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som said there were no signs of the four, who went missing on Monday evening while sailing from Pulau Balambangan back to Sabah’s tip of Borneo in Kudat.

Spaniards David Hernandez Gasulla and Martha Miguel, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau resort owner Tommy Lam Wai Yin and another Malaysian identified as Ms Ella were reported missing at about 6pm on Monday.

They were supposed to arrive at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau at 8pm on Monday.

The navy, air force, and coast guards have deployed six vessels – KM Memmon, Kilat 48, KD Baung, KD Jerong, Adal 16 - and three aircrafts – Dauphin, Beachcraft and Cessna (to depart from the Layang-Layang Aerospace) - to comb 3,600 sq miles of sea.

Mohd Zubil said based on the wind conditions, they believe the missing vessel might have drifted northwest if it had indeed suffered an engine malfunction.

“Search and rescue teams have expanded their search northwest for this purpose but so far we have not got any sightings,” he said.

Anxious family members of Lam are keeping vigil from their home in Kota Kinabalu while chartering private aircrafts to help in the search.

It is understood that the Spanish embassy have contacted Sabah tourism authorities to be updated on the couple who were on holiday here.

Credit : http://www.thestar.com.my/