During rescue exercises near Pulau Angsa, off Kuala Selangor, a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) helicopter had to make an emergency water landing, as reported by MMEA director-general Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin. The incident took place at 9.55am on Tuesday (March 5).
The initial distress call was received by the MERS 999 emergency hotline from a fisherman in the vicinity of the incident. Following this, a search and rescue operation was promptly initiated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at 10.15am.
All four individuals on board the helicopter were reported to be safe by Adm Hamid. The aircraft was being piloted by Lt Kmdr (M) Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria and Lt Kmdr (M) Mohamad Azrol Saidi, with warrant officer John Ibno and rescue diver Muhamad Nurhayyat Hashim also on board.
In response to the emergency, a helicopter and two boats were dispatched to the scene. Nearby fishermen provided initial first aid to the crew members before they were airlifted to the Subang Maritime Air Station for further evaluation.
A total of ten personnel from the MMEA special task and rescue team, along with the KM Bagan Datuk patrol vessel, were deployed to secure the site where the incident occurred. Adm Hamid mentioned that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the emergency landing.
Fortunately, the crew members of the helicopter did not sustain any serious injuries that required immediate medical attention.
