KUCHING: A Russian sailing ship ran aground on a sandbank at Kuala Oya, near Mukah, after being hit by large waves and a strong storm at 6.30pm yesterday.
The ship, carrying four Russian nationals, was en route from the Philippines to Kuching after a stopover in Labuan on Dec 19 (Thursday).
Dalat police chief, Deputy Superintendent Saga Chunggat, said he received a call from a member of the public at 8pm yesterday reporting that the ship had been stranded on the sandbank.
He said the information was passed to the Bintulu Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Kuching Maritime Rescue Sub Centre, as well as the Mukah Fire and Rescue Department and Dalat Civil Defence Force.
Saga said his officers, along with several members, rushed to the scene but were unable to approach the ship, which was about 100 metres from the shore, due to the strong waves and heavy rain.
"When the police observed the ship from the Kuala Oya site on the beach, they saw lights on the vessel and the crew had also lit a red flare as a distress signal.
"At around 10pm, when the rain started to subside, the police team, led by Inspector Zulhilmi Panggis and assisted by local villagers, made their way through a 300-metre stretch of forest along the beach to get closer to the vessel, named 'Pilgrim'.
"They located all four crew members and the captain, who were safe and sheltering on the beach," Saga said.
He said, according to the ship's captain, Sinelnik Sergei, the ship's GPS navigation system malfunctioned while passing through the waters of Miri, and at the same time, the vessel encountered rough seas.
"They got stuck on the sandbank at Kuala Oya because they were unfamiliar with the area and the entry route to the Kuala Sungai Oya estuary for shelter.
"After the ship ran aground, they used a life raft to abandon the vessel and search for shelter," he said.
He said none of the crew members required police assistance, as they were only waiting for the tide to rise so they could get off the sandbank.
"However, they also requested the assistance of a tugboat to help pull the ship free from the sandbank.
"All four Russians possessed valid documents and passports, and they cooperated fully with the police during interviews to determine the cause of their grounding at Kuala Oya," he said.