Muhammad Furqan Mohamed Rashid was attending a course to become a junior deck officer before the incident. - MUHAMMAD FARIZ/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A Singaporean man was reported missing in US waters after he fell from a bulk cargo carrier on Monday (June 19), according to Berita Mediacorp.
Muhammad Furqan Mohamed Rashid, 25, was attending a course to become a junior deck officer, according to his friend Muhammad Fariz, who shared about the incident on Facebook on Wednesday.
“I come before you today with a heavy heart, seeking your support and prayers for a dear friend who is currently lost at sea,” Fariz wrote.
“The search and rescue efforts are in full swing, but the vastness of the ocean has made the task arduous and complex,” he added.
Furqan’s sister, Nur Afifah Mohamed Rashid, on Wednesday also appealed to her social media followers to pray for her brother’s safety and well-being.
But according to the Los Angeles Daily News, the US Coast Guard has called off an active search by air and sea for a missing sailor on Tuesday evening (US time) after nearly 15 hours. The report did not name Furqan.
Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, the search and rescue mission coordinator, said: “The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is made only after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person. We extend our deepest sympathies to this crew member’s friends and family.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the US Coast Guard mobilised a rescue helicopter, cutter and small boat for the rescue mission.
Furqan was believed to have fallen overboard when the vessel, African Cardinal, was sailing in the Santa Barbara Channel en route to the Port of Long Beach, said the Coast Guard.
The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for more information.
