Boat tragedy: Family hoping missing anglers will be found soon

The next-of-kin of the two missing anglers in Monday's boat tragedy in Bachok waters here hope that Che Wadi Bakar and Arman Ismail will be found soon.

Che Wadi's sister, Cik Normas Bakar, 35, said she and her family have accepted the tragedy as fate but they are still harbouring hope that her brother would be found safe.

"My brother is a good swimmer and that's why we still have hope for his safety...if he is fated to die, let his remains be buried," she said when met at the Kuala Kemasin Fish Landing Jetty here on Friday.

Asked about whether Che Wadi had shown any behavioural change prior to the tragedy, Cik Normas said her brother who was a quiet person appeared more jovial than usual.

Meanwhile, Arman's wife Siti Ayu Ishak, 30, said her husband was a very loving and good person.

"I would like to thank the search and rescue team for their hard work and dedication in carrying out the search and rescue operation," said the mother of three.

In the 8 pm incident in Monday, a boat carrying 20 anglers including a skipper and crew capsized following a storm at about 10 nautical miles from the Kuala Kemasin Base Jetty.

Six of the 20 anglers drowned, 12 survived while two more are missing.

The six victims who died were Mohd Syahrizan Daud, in his 40s, Muhamad Zaki Muhammad Nordin, 19, Wan Aminudin Wan Hussin (60s), a Thai national who is known as Pokta (50s), Ahmad Syafiq Che Alim, 30 and Harun Daud, 57.

The search and rescue operation was suspended at 7pm (Friday) and have resumed at 6am today.

-- BERNAMA