A recent pirate attack in the waters of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, has resulted in the death of a male public servant from the Rai Coast District Government and left several others injured.
According to reports, the incident occurred late in the afternoon on Friday, the 24th of this month. The victims were traveling in two 40-horsepower dinghies from Madang town to Saidor Government Station when they were ambushed by armed pirates near Tabalip Point along the southern coast of Madang.
Boats Hijacked, One Man Drowns
According to the NBC News Department, the pirates stole the outboard motors of both dinghies and all personal belongings before forcing the passengers to jump into the sea and swim to shore. Tragically, one male passenger, who could not swim, drowned. The remaining eight managed to swim to safety and reached the nearby village of Lelah near Tabalip Point.
Leonard Kudud, head of the Basamuk Plant Asset Protection Team and operator of the rescue vessel, stated: “We received a distress message from our deployed officers at Basamuk reporting a pirate attack near Tabalip Point. A total of nine adults, including two female public servants, were on board when they were attacked by armed assailants. The attackers used weapons to threaten the passengers. One male public servant was struck in the back and neck with a slingshot, and one crew member was injured on the arm by a bush knife.”
He said the survivors contacted Basamuk authorities using a local villager’s phone, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation. The rescue team reached Lelah village and located the survivors.
The survivors were then taken to the Basamuk plant for emergency medical treatment and later filed official injury and incident reports with the local police. A local businessman provided temporary accommodation, and the next day, the survivors were transported to Saidor Government Station.
Grave Security Concerns Prompt Calls for Increased Patrols
This incident once again highlights the serious challenges Madang and its surrounding waters face in combating maritime crime. The frequent occurrence of piracy not only endangers lives and property but also disrupts regional transportation and public service operations.
Local police are currently conducting further investigations into the incident and have called on all levels of government to strengthen maritime patrols and safety measures to curb the spread of piracy and ensure safe passage at sea.
