Penang: An angler who was reported to have fallen into the sea near the Penang Bridge yesterday was found dead this morning.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations assistant director John Sagun Francis stated that the body of Abdul Ghani Mohsin, 39, was discovered by fishermen at 10.26 am. The location of the discovery was approximately two kilometres away from where he was initially reported to have fallen. The body was subsequently brought ashore at the Batu Uban Jetty and handed over to the police before being taken to the Penang Hospital for further action.

JBPM received a call at 11.16 am yesterday from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), requesting assistance in a search and rescue (SAR) operation for the angler who was believed to have fallen into the sea while fishing at pillar number five of the Penang Bridge, heading towards the island. The SAR operation, coordinated by MMEA, involved one boat each from MMEA, JBPM, the Marine Police Force, and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force.

John Sagun Francis elaborated that the search was conducted using the water surface searching method within a radius of up to five kilometres from the location where the victim was reported to have fallen. The operation included participation from JBPM's Water Rescue Team.

Yesterday, Penang MMEA director Maritime Captain Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli reported that the Penang State Maritime Operations Centre received a report on the incident at 6.10 am. The SAR operation was subsequently activated by the Langkawi Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre.