Malaysian rescuers find body of fourth victim of capsized boat

Mon, 27 Dec 2010

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian rescuers found the body of a fourth Singaporean tourist from a passenger boat that capsized off a resort island in the southern Johor state, police said Monday.

Police said the boatman likely lost control of the overloaded wooden boat, which was made for 12 passengers but was carrying 29, due to strong winds and choppy waves.

The boat was carrying 19 Singaporean nationals, nine Malaysians and one Chinese tourist, officials said.

The tourists were returning from the nearby Sibu Island when the boat capsized just some 200 meters from the mainland jetty, district police chief Mohamad Nor Rashid said.

He said none of the passengers were wearing life jackets.

Rescuers retrieved the bodies of three Singaporean nationals on Sunday, and discovered the fourth early Monday. Rescue efforts were continuing for one more missing passenger.

"One minute we were enjoying the holiday and the next we were struggling for our lives when the boat capsized," a survivor named Lim Tai Wee was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

"It was very windy and the waves were hitting the boat hard," said Lim, whose two cousins perished in the accident.

Police detained the boat's Malaysian skipper for questioning.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/359780,fourth-victim-capsized-boat.html.