Special Bachok squad to search for two missing anglers

The Bachok Area Fishermen Association has set up a special squad with 10 boats to look for two more missing persons in Monday's boat tragedy, 13 nautical miles from Kuala Kemasin estuary here.

Its chairman Saripudin Ishak said the squad consisting of class A boats with at least 20 coastal fishermen has extended the search to 30 nautical miles, from the last time they were seen.

"We have also notified about 20 trawlers operating at night to monitor and report to the authorities if they found bodies stuck in their net," he said when met at the Fish Marketing Jetty in Kuala Kemasin here today.

The two missing victims, Arman Ismail, 43, and Che Wadi Bakar, 44 were in a group of 20 anglers when their boat capsized and six of their friends were found dead, while 12 were rescued.

Saripudin added that the search and rescue operation will continue with the cooperation of over 800 members of the association until it is called off by the authorities.

"We will still keep looking out for the victims in our daily fishing outings.

"Based on our experience, there is a possibility that the two victims may have been washed away 20 or 30 nautical miles from the scene, due to the strong southwest winds in the afternoon and evening currently blowing over the coast of Kelantan," he said.

-- BERNAMA