Missing Fishermen: Body Of Second Victim  Found Near Pulau Bengkalis

BATU PAHAT, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The search and rescue (SAR) operation for two fishermen reported missing after they were believed to have fallen into the sea in Batu Pahat waters last Saturday was called off at 3.10 pm today following the discovery of the second victim.

Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Director Maritime Commander Mohamad Zaini Zainal said the body of the second victim, Mohd Fazli Misran, 41, was found at 9 am by Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), about seven nautical miles northeast of Pulau Bengkalis, Indonesia.

He said the body was subsequently handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia) before being brought to the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Jetty and handed over to the police for further action.

“The body was then sent to Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI) for further procedures. The decision to terminate the SAR operation was made by the SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC) of the Johor State Maritime Headquarters following the discovery of both victims,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Batu Pahat District Police Chief ACP Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said a physical identification process had been conducted and DNA matching samples between the victim and next of kin would be taken for official identification confirmation.

He said this was because the victim’s wife, who identified the body at HSNI Batu Pahat, was only able to recognise the victim’s clothing and not confirm the identity through physical identification.

“The post-mortem will be conducted tomorrow (Jan 8) and police investigations are being carried out under sudden death report (SDR) procedures,” he said.

Earlier, Mohd Saiful Azli Ahmad, 45, and his friend Mohd Fazli Misran were reported missing after the two went out to check shrimp traps and fish about 800 metres from the Sungai Tongkang jetty last Friday.

-- BERNAMA