KLANG: “It happened so fast. The boat capsized, and there was water everywhere in seconds.”
For 17-year-old Alvin Chang Yan Qin – the sole survivor so far of the boat tragedy in the waters off Tanjung Harapan on Friday (June 6) – there was barely any time to react when the boat overturned.
He said the fast boat was making a U-turn about 30mins after going out for a test run from the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) when suddenly tragedy struck.
“It was total chaos. I managed to swim out before climbing on top of the overturned boat,” he said when met by reporters at the search and rescue location, Selangor Maritime Headquarters, in Tanjung Harapan on Saturday (June 7).
Chang said he could only yell for help after realising other passengers were not visible and after about five minutes of holding on to the boat, another boat arrived and rescued him.
Three people, including a three-year-old boy, are confirmed dead while two more are missing.
“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.
The deceased 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
