Sunday May 11, 2008 MYT 6:17:11 PM
Thai fisticuffs on the high seas
By STEPHEN THEN
MIRI: Two Thai fishermen were allegedly thrown overboard into the South China Sea off the coast of Borneo Island during a fight with their fellow countrymen on board their fishing vessel.
The duo survived, but one of their friends, also a Thai, drowned after he fell overboard when lowering a lifebuoy to save the two who were in the sea.
His corpse was found floating in the Miri River near an industrial estate here on Saturday afternoon.
Initially, residents thought someone had drowned during a fishing trip along the Miri River.
However, police here later found out about the high-sea drama after the two fishermen were found floating alive near an oil rig some 80 nautical miles off the coast here.
The two were rescued by a passing vessel on Friday and later brought ashore to Miri on Saturday.
Miri Police Chief Asst Comm Jamaluddin Ibrahim on Sunday confirmed that police investigations showed that the dead person was a Thai fishermen and that the two rescued were also Thais.
“The two told police that they were travelling in a fishing vessel when a quarrel broke out between them and their colleagues.
“They said they were thrown overboard by the others. One of their friends managed to grab a lifebouy and threw it over the side of the ship.
“However, while throwing the lifebouy, he was hit by strong waves and thrown into the sea. The two managed to hang onto the lifebuoy for a few days before they were rescued.
“They were rescued by a passing vessel and brought ashore. We (Miri police) are now investigating their claims,” he said on Sunday.
ACP Jamaluddin said the police had contacted the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur to inform them about the case.
The Miri police have handed the duo to the Immigration Department to be detained until further notice.
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