KUALA SELANGOR, March 5 — The prompt action of an angler in contacting the 999 emergency hotline enabled immediate rescue efforts to be carried out after a helicopter belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) made an emergency landing in the waters of Pulau Angsa earlier today.
Recalling the tense moment, Mohd Riduan Kulop Ahmad, 38, related how he and seven other friends were fishing not far from the incident location when they saw a helicopter flying low and spinning before crashing into the sea.
“I immediately contacted the emergency hotline 999 to inform the authorities about the crash.
“Shortly after, I saw rescue personnel arriving to assist those who were in the helicopter,” he said in a brief video shared with the press today.
A video and photos of the crash went viral on social media this morning before MMEA director-general Adm (Maritime) Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin issued a statement confirming an MMAE AW 139 helicopter with registration number M72-01 made an emergency landing in Pulau Angsa’s waters.
Initial information about the crash involving the helicopter piloted by Maritime Lt Cmdr Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria and Maritime Lt Cmdr Mohamad Azrol Saidi, with two other crew members onboard, was received through a call to the MERS 999 hotline by fishermen in the vicinity of the incident.
A search and rescue operation (Carilamat) was then launched by the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) and the Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at 10.15am.
Local fishermen successfully rescued all victims before being flown to the Subang Maritime Air Station by an AS 365 N3 aircraft.
— Bernama
