Kuala nerus: The assistant skipper who died in a boat capsize during a squid jigging outing in the waters of Kuala Nerus near here last night managed to save several passengers before he was believed to have run out of energy and was found unconscious.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim's eldest brother, Ahmad Firdaus Mohmad Jalil, 47, shared that the deceased, Nasaruddin, 37, who was still single, had been working part-time as an assistant skipper during the squid jigging season for the past two years to supplement his income. He mentioned that Nasaruddin left home yesterday evening to bring 10 participants, before being informed that the boat had capsized at about 10 pm.
"The deceased worked as a technician but was a skilled boatman and accustomed to going out to sea. When the squid jigging season arrived, he would take up part-time work as an assistant skipper with our cousin who worked as a fisherman. I was told that the deceased managed to save several other passengers before his strength ran out and he was taken onto another boat in an unconscious state. Yesterday evening I spoke to him as usual, there was no change with the deceased," he explained when met at the Forensic Medicine Department of Sultan Zainal Abidin Hospital (HoSZA), here today.
Ahmad Firdaus further stated that the deceased's remains would be offered prayers at Al-Abrar Mosque before being buried at Kampung Bukit Tok Beng Muslim Cemetery after the zohor prayer.
Earlier, one person died, three were injured, while eight others survived when the boat capsized and sank about nine nautical miles from Dataran Kuala Nerus last night. Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor reported that two of the three injured victims were treated as outpatients at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ), while the other was still receiving follow-up treatment.
He specified that in the incident at about 9 pm, the deceased victim was the boat crew, Ahmad Nasaruddin Mohmad Jalil, 37, while the injured passengers were Faris Ibrahim, 33; Ahmad Danial Iman, 24; and Fatin Fariesya Rohaizan, 26.