Update About Missing S’poreans in M’sia: Kayak & Belongings Found on Tuesday Noon

On the National Day & Hari Raya long weekend, two Singaporeans went on a 5D4N kayaking trip.

They were Ms Puah Geok Tin, age 64, and Mr Tan Eng Soon, age 52.

They were kayaking with 13 other S’porean, who all started this kayaking trip from Penyabong jetty at about 10:00 a.m. on 8 Aug 2019.

However, things went wrong and the pair were separated from the rest of the group. And they’ve been missing ever since.

The son blasted the authorities for the “delays” in the search rescue.

It was hoped that the missing kayakers would be found and rescued shortly.

And now, one of the rescue parties found some traces of the missing kayak.

But whether it’s good news or a bad one, you decide.

An Update

On 13 Aug, the missing kayak was spotted by fishermen at about 12.30 pm.

It was floating upside down in the waters, about 0.6 nautical miles (~1.1km) southeast of Tanjung Gelang in Kuantan.

That was about 80 nautical miles (~148 km) from where they were reported missing.

Essential Supplies Found

Within the kayak, other items were discovered, including:

• Mr Tan’s passport
• Two purses with Singapore and Malaysian currency
• A mobile phone
• A bag of clothes
• An Identity Card

ST further reported that food rations that the pair has packed for the expedition were found on the kayak as well.

Miss Puah’s son, Louis Pang, said that the fisherman who spotted the kayak used the mobile phone left behind to send a message to the family.

The kayakers, however, remain missing.

Family Holds On To Hope

According to her husband, Mr Peng, “Everybody is a bit happy now.”

To him, the fact that they found the missing kayak helps narrow down the search area.

“Because at least we know where the kayak ended up which means the two of them could be around the area.”

Plus, the fact that the kayak was found floating near the coastline means the pair has likely managed to reach land.

Ms Puah’s son, however, had mixed feelings about the find.

To him, he felt that finding the kayak without the missing kayakers isn’t a good sign.

He added that the family is still “hoping for the best”.

Rescue Operation Continues

Besides the helicopter and six boats previously deployed, the Malaysian authorities said that they have deployed more aircraft to cover 900 square nautical miles between the east and north of Pulau Tioman in Pahang.

That’s about four times the size of Singapore.

Fishermen and residents on nearby islands are on the lookout for the missing kayakers as well.

We hope that the pair will be found safe and sound soon.