JOYFUL REUNION: Rakisah embraces her husband upon his arrival home.
KUCHING: The search for an elderly fisherman from Kampung Semariang Lama, who was last seen on Thursday, ended yesterday after he was found safe and in good health.
Yussop Awi, 68, was located along the coast in the Bako area by a search-and-rescue team made up of firemen and local villagers around 11am, and was immediately brought back to his house much to the delight of his wife Rakisah Reduan and their children.
The father-of-14 later told pressmen that he ended up being stranded after running out of fuel while on his way back from sea.
“A storm came up while I was fishing that day, and I quickly made my way back but ran out of fuel along the way.
“I then sought shelter along the coast but I couldn’t go anywhere as I did not want to abandon my boat,” he explained.
Fortunately for Yussop, an elderly farmer staying nearby came across him on Friday and provided him with some food and water while he waited to get help from passing boats.
“He even offered to let me stay in his hut on his farm not far away, but I told him I did not want to leave my boat unattended,” he said, adding that he had also tried to flag down a passing trawler on Friday but was not successful.
The elderly fisherman had went out to sea on Thursday but failed to return that night, prompting a search-and-rescue operation to be launched the following day.