SOS from US yacht caught in turbulent seas off northern Sarawak

21 Mar 2025

AN American yacht suffered technical problems while navigating turbulent northern Sarawak territorial waters in the South China Sea late last night.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) have since located the vessel off the coasts of Miri district and have rescued the sailors and towed the vessel to safety.

MMEA Miri enforcement chief Captain Mohd Khairul Anuar today said the crew on board was an American couple.

“Late last night, we (MMEA centre) received an emergency alert from a foreign yacht  off the Miri coast indicating that it was facing technical problems.

“We immediately deployed search teams in rescue ships from Miri and found the yacht named “French Kiss” floating in the ocean.

“The sailors were a couple from the United States.

“They had sent distress signals for help as their vessel had malfunctioned due to technical troubles.

“We have towed the yacht and the sailors ashore to the Miri Marina Bay.

“The sailors are safe. They did not suffer any harm,” Capt Khairul said in a press release.

The agency calls on all those venturing offshore to exercise caution during this turbulent weather conditions.

“Always equip your vessels with emergency beacons to enable us to quickly locate your position if you are going offshore,” he stressed.