KLANG: “It all happened so quickly; the boat capsized and began filling with water before it sank,” recalled 17-year-old Chang Yan Qin Alvin, a survivor of the boat incident that claimed three lives in the waters off Tanjung Harapan yesterday.
Chang is one of six people aboard the boat who survived, while two other victims are still missing.
He said the tragedy occurred when the boat they were in, which was undergoing a test run, made an U-turn about 30 minutes after departing from the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC).
“The incident happened very quickly when the relatively fast-moving boat suddenly overturned, and in less than 10 seconds, water had entered all compartments of the boat.
“The situation inside the boat became chaotic, but I saved myself by trying to swim out before managing to sit on top of the overturned boat,” he said when met by reporters at the search and rescue location, Selangor Maritime Headquarters, in Tanjung Harapan today.
Chang said he could only scream for help after realising other passengers were not visible and after about five minutes of holding on to the boat, another boat approached and rescued him.
He said the fishermen in the boat then helped contact the authorities for assistance.
“I understand that this was the second test run for the boat, and before this, the boat was found to be in overall good condition,” he said, expressing sadness over the heartbreaking tragedy.
In the incident around 5pm, three individuals, including a child, died, while a married couple is still missing.
The victims are three-year-old Darren Gan, Cheu Son Hin, 50, and Fong Yong Sen, 29, while the missing victims have been identified as Gan Hon Tat, 32, and his wife Careen Man, 29, both from Klang Utama.
–Bernama
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
