Following tragic deaths of rowers, deputy minister says vital to have escort boat, notify SRB of practices

BAU (Oct 22): Those practising for boat races must have an escort boat present, said Deputy Transport Minister (River and Sea) Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.

He said having an escort boat during practices is crucial because in case of an emergency, such as a boat capsizing, the escort boat can provide immediate assistance to those in distress.

“I know participants of boat races often don’t wear life jackets during practices because they find them hot and uncomfortable, but proper precautions must still be in place.

“Hence to have an escort boat should be crucial as the escort boat can do things such as throwing buoys or floats to passengers of the capsized boat,” he told a press conference to announce the Tasik Biru Festival at the Bau District Office today.

He said another precaution for those practising on the river would be to inform the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) before any practice session.

“Anyone wanting to practise on the river must notify the SRB. They can provide information about large vessels passing through, so there are no disruptions caused by waves during practices,” he explained.

He was responding to a tragedy on Oct 18 when a boat carrying 15 rowers capsized in the Sarawak River, near the Royal Bay Commercial Centre at Jalan Buruh Bintawa, during a training session for the Sarawak Regatta.

Ten of the rowers managed to swim to safety, while five others went missing.

On Oct 20, the bodies of the five missing rowers, all from the Sarawak Security and Enforcement Unit, were recovered.