Family of missing cargo ship crew wants search to continue
The family of Derrent Littor wants the owner of the missing cargo ship to come forward and give an explanation.
KOTA KINABALU: The family of a crew member aboard a missing cargo ship is appealing for the search and rescue operation (SAR) for the vessel to continue.
Sandra Littor, 32, sister to Derrent Littor, said she is confident that her brother, along with the other four crew members, need help.
The SAR for MV Dai Cat 06, which was reported missing last Monday, was called off today after no new clues were found, according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Zubil Mat Som.
The search was coordinated by Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) as the ship had been reported missing in Indonesian waters.
“We have been informed that the SAR was called off and only routine patrols will be done in the waters of Indonesia and Malaysia. This means the SAR will only resume if there are new clues.
“We hope that the SAR will continue because we are sure that my brother and the other four crew members are in dire need of help,” she said when met at Kampung Melaka here.
Derrent’s family was also disappointed with the owner of the missing vessel and the shipping company as they had not contacted any of the affected families.
Sandra said she hopes the company will come forward to offer an explanation and to cooperate fully.
“We were told that the ship was allowed to transport iron even though it was not in the best condition.
“We want those who are responsible for the cargo ship to come forward and give an explanation,” she said.
Sandra said that she first heard about the incident from a friend, before reaching out to MMEA herself.
She said so far, six police reports have been lodged. One by the cargo ship agent in Lumut and five by family members.
Another sister, Lyli, 28, said she last spoke to Derrent at 1.47pm on Jan 1.
According to Lyli, Derrent was in Singaporean waters at the time and she realised something was amiss when he said he has been continuously wearing his life jacket.
“He said he always had his life jacket on, and this made us worry even more.”
Derrent has been working on the MV Dai Cat 06 since Oct 28 last year and his contract was supposed to end in April this year.
“My brother worked on the vessel for six months to gain experience and to pursue further certification,” she said.
The Malaysian-registered cargo vessel, carrying pipes worth RM726,205, was reported missing in Indonesian waters on Jan 9, and a police report was lodged by the ship’s agent on the same day.
The cargo ship, which was operated by three Malaysian and two Indonesian crew members, left the pier in Kampung Aceh, Perak, on Dec 23 last year and was supposed to arrive in Kuching on Dec 31.
KOTA KINABALU: The family of a crew member aboard a missing cargo ship is appealing for the search and rescue operation (SAR) for the vessel to continue.
Sandra Littor, 32, sister to Derrent Littor, said she is confident that her brother, along with the other four crew members, need help.
The SAR for MV Dai Cat 06, which was reported missing last Monday, was called off today after no new clues were found, according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Zubil Mat Som.
The search was coordinated by Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) as the ship had been reported missing in Indonesian waters.
“We have been informed that the SAR was called off and only routine patrols will be done in the waters of Indonesia and Malaysia. This means the SAR will only resume if there are new clues.
“We hope that the SAR will continue because we are sure that my brother and the other four crew members are in dire need of help,” she said when met at Kampung Melaka here.
Derrent’s family was also disappointed with the owner of the missing vessel and the shipping company as they had not contacted any of the affected families.
Sandra said she hopes the company will come forward to offer an explanation and to cooperate fully.
“We were told that the ship was allowed to transport iron even though it was not in the best condition.
“We want those who are responsible for the cargo ship to come forward and give an explanation,” she said.
Sandra said that she first heard about the incident from a friend, before reaching out to MMEA herself.
She said so far, six police reports have been lodged. One by the cargo ship agent in Lumut and five by family members.
Another sister, Lyli, 28, said she last spoke to Derrent at 1.47pm on Jan 1.
According to Lyli, Derrent was in Singaporean waters at the time and she realised something was amiss when he said he has been continuously wearing his life jacket.
“He said he always had his life jacket on, and this made us worry even more.”
Derrent has been working on the MV Dai Cat 06 since Oct 28 last year and his contract was supposed to end in April this year.
“My brother worked on the vessel for six months to gain experience and to pursue further certification,” she said.
The Malaysian-registered cargo vessel, carrying pipes worth RM726,205, was reported missing in Indonesian waters on Jan 9, and a police report was lodged by the ship’s agent on the same day.
The cargo ship, which was operated by three Malaysian and two Indonesian crew members, left the pier in Kampung Aceh, Perak, on Dec 23 last year and was supposed to arrive in Kuching on Dec 31.
Apparently , the ship was in unfit condition to put to sea.
ReplyDeleteThe shipowners need to face legal action.
Under Malaysian regulations, a sea-going vessel -one that sails beyond coastal waters are required to have at least one EPIRB -Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon , which can be activated manually, or automatically by water reaching a sinking ship.
It transmits a unique ID, so it is instantly recognisable what ship it is.
No sign of the EPIRB - maybe it didn't have one, which is a violation of the law.