4 Indonesians rescued after going overboard near Pedra Branca; 1 person still missing

Four Indonesians have been rescued after going overboard from a boat near Pedra Branca early on Thursday morning (19 April), with one person still missing.

A press release by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it had received a report at about 2.53am regarding five people who had gone overboard from a boat that was about 0.7 nautical miles north-east of Pedra Branca and within Singapore territorial waters.

Personnel and assets from the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) were immediately deployed for search and rescue operations.

Navigational broadcasts for ships to look for the missing person have also been issued by the MPA.

“According to those rescued, there were a total of 108 persons comprising men, women and children on board the boat. The remaining 103 persons are safe on board the boat,” added the MPA.

All 107 passengers have been transferred to an Indonesian Marine Police vessel and conveyed back to Batam, said the MPA.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen wrote that while operating off Changi, the Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) spotted a motorised boat “which had lost power and was drifting around the waters off Pedra Branca”.

“(The) MSTF sent a PCG vessel to investigate. Some were seen to have jumped overboard from the stranded boat and were swimming away,” he added.

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