On November 4, seven sailors managed to escape from a sinking vessel loaded with coconut.
What happened?
In a fortunate turn of events, seven sailors from Indonesia managed to escape from a sinking vessel which was loaded with 180 tonnes of coconuts.
Sailor’s escape:
The seaman escaped in a small sampan when the ship began sinking about 20 nautical miles off Kuala Terengganu. The vessel was enroute from Tambilahan port in Sumatra to Narathiwat in Thailand.
Vessel flooded:
A seaman recalled that the vessel started developing a leak and rapidly flooded the engine room. The vessel got caught in strong waves and was smashed to pieces.
The Indonesian Maritime official said, “We were informed of a distress call by the Gong Badak police station at 9am. The seven crew members aged between 20 and 43 managed to escape in a small sampan and headed towards the Teluk Ketapang beach. They were drenched by the strong waves but were unharmed”.
Coconuts float on water:
A visit to the breakwater revealed thousands of coconuts floating nearby, with villagers taking the opportunity to collect as many as they could.
The agency assured to contact the Immigration Department and the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur to assist the stranded sailors.
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Source: New Straits Times
