KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency helicopter which made an emergency landing off the coast of Kuala Selangor this morning had been on a rescue exercise.
MMEA director-general Laksamana (M) Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin said the AW139 helicopter with registration number M72-01 landed in the waters off Pulau Angsa, Selangor at about 9.55am.
An initial report of the incident was received through a MERS 999 call from fishermen in the area.
"The Search and Rescue Operation was activated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at 10.15 am today.
"The helicopter involved in the emergency landing was piloted by Lieutenant Commander (M) Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria, Lieutenant Commander (M) Mohamad Azrol Saidi, along with an aircrew Officer Warrant I (M) John Ibno and a Rescue Swimmer, Corporal (M) Muhamad Nurhayyat Hashim," Hamid said in a statement.
Hamid said Maritime Malaysia would conduct further investigations to determine the cause of the incident.
"Maritime Malaysia also expresses gratitude for the information and prompt actions from the maritime community that assisted in the search and rescue operation during the incident.
"The search and rescue operation by CAAM ended at 11.15 am," he said, adding all crew were flown to the Subang Maritime Air Station.
Maritime Malaysia assets deployed to the location included Patrol Boat PENGAWAL 25 from Maritime Selangor, the RH 16 and PSC 39 boats from the Port Klang marine police force and a Maritime Malaysia AS 365 N3 Dauphine aircraft from the Subang Maritime Air Station (SUMS).
Others involved in the rescue mission also include members of the Special Task and Rescue Team (STAR Team) and KM Bagan Datuk.
It was earlier reported that the incident happened in the waters Pulau Angsa and that the four crew members were rescued by fishermen.