French Yacht Stranded In Aceh

SABANG, ACEH, June 5 (Antara) - Due to the high waves and bad weather, a French yatch "Timshal" was stranded at Sabang bay in the Aceh province's Weh island on Saturday, the ship's captain Patrick Founer informed Antara here on Sunday. Earlier on Thursday, the yacht obtained permission from the local authority to depart from the island's main city, Sabang to Mauritius islands and France. During the journey to islands, however, the ship ran out of the batteries, so the engine automatically was off, Founer stated. "On Friday, we lost our ship's engine amid the high waves during our journey, so the best decision was going back to Sabang for repair," he reiterated while adding heavy wind made the yacht getting harder to control. "We fortunately survive, although the ship's mast was broken due to the rogue waves," the captain remarked. Following the incident, the rescue team arrived at the location at 10.35 PM local time on Saturday and evacuated the ship's crew members. The yacht now is still stranded at the bay. Meanwhile earlier on Thursday, around 14 Philippines' citizens comprising nine men and five women were stranded in Bunyu Island, East Kalimantan province. Due to bad weather and running out of fuel during the sail, the 14 Filipinos were forced to enter Indonesian waters, the province's police spokesperson Comm. Sen. Ade Yaya Suryana said on Friday. "On Thursday morning at 7.30 am local time, the security officers found them on the island, and directly evacuated the Filipinos to the Bunyu sub-district office for treatment and further investigation," the spokesperson remarked. During the initial investigation, the 14 Filipinos said they had departed from the Bunggau Island, Tawi-Tawi Province, the Philippines, to the province's Setangkai Island for culturing seaweed. Suryana stated the 14 Filipinos are Ahiyal Rizal Bonggan, Jumboy Hernane, Gonceta, Onesimus Wongaja, Janry Salim, Rayjan Salim, Riohard Pelexo, Joshua H Crepo, Marlyn H Crado, Rosmalin H Adjad, Nelia Agad, Cherish Danne A Damos, Asmad, and Iraf.