Family grateful son, colleagues survived police helicopter crash
His father Baharom Mohammed, 82, and mother Che Ma Abu Bakar, 75, made a 10-hour journey from Alor Setar, Kedah, to Johor, arriving at Hospital Sultanah Aminah here just after dawn yesterday to visit their son.
'Before the training exercise on Thursday, my son called me to say he was about to board the helicopter. We prayed for his safety.
'Not long after, I received shocking news that the helicopter crashed into the sea during the exercise,' Baharom said.
Despite the chaos of the crash, Supt Ahmad, 46, managed to escape the submerged aircraft and was the first to be rescued.
'Some victims were unconscious. We were told he was lucky to remain conscious throughout.
'When we saw him at the hospital, he could still speak to us,' said Baharom, adding that doctors assured the family that he is stable and recovering.
He said Supt Ahmad sustained several injuries, including on his back, fractured ribs, facial swelling and numbness in his legs.
'His face is still swollen but the helmet he wore likely saved him from worse injuries. We are just grateful he is alive – the rest we leave to God,' said Baharom.
He added that Supt Ahmad has four children, aged nine to 16.
Earlier, Bukit Aman Air Operations Force Deputy Commander (Operations) Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Lokman Abdul Hadi visited the crash victims, followed by Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan.
On Thursday, the Eurocopter AS3555 Ecureuil known as 'Squirrel' crashed near the jetty during a mock exercise attended by personnel from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
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The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
‘Squirrel' fished out of the water
Waterlogged wreckage: Multiple government agencies taking part in efforts to recover the police helicopter that crashed into Sungai Pulai last week during a multinational exercise. — Bernama ISKANDAR PUTERI: Authorities have successfully pulled out the wreckage of a police helicopter that crashed into Sungai Pulai at Gelang Patah here last week. The recovery operation, involving multiple agencies, began early yesterday morning at the Gelang Patah Maritime Jetty, which is located some 27km away from Johor Baru. Security at the area was tight, with only officers, personnel and registered members of the media allowed to enter the jetty. Favourable weather conditions helped divers from the navy and marine police carry out the recovery. The team of divers entered the river at around 9am and took a few hours to connect the wreckage to a crane vessel using cables. The crane vessel then successfully hoisted the wreckage in stages before ferrying it to the jetty, accompanied by several marine police vessels. The AS355N helicopter, bearing registration number 9M-PHG, was involved in an accident at about 10.15am on July 10 while participating in the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (Mitsatom) 2025. The exercise, held at the same jetty, involved collaboration between Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. The Eurocopter AS3555 Ecureuil known as 'Squirrel' crashed about 21m from the jetty while performing a mock exercise during the programme. The training simulated a coordinated response to cross-border smuggling of radioactive and nuclear materials. This marked the fourth Mitsatom exercise hosted by Malaysia, following the last session in Sabah in 2018. The helicopter was transporting five people, comprising two senior police officers and three others, including the pilot from the police air wing and a policeman from the Tanjung Kupang police station. The five were rescued within minutes of the crash, as many naval boats were stationed in the area to take part in the exercise. They are Kons RG Devendran, Kpl Adeline Liu Yan Sin, helicopter pilot Asst Comm Faizul Muhammad, his co-pilot Supt Ahmad Bustamin Baharom and Sjn Siti Latipa Khairuddin. Two of them have been discharged, while one was transferred to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur following a request from family members. The remaining two are still receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru, with one of them in the intensive care unit. Only close family members were allowed to visit. Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Air Operations Force (PGU) commander under the Internal Security and Public Order Department, Datuk Noor Sham Md Jani said the wrecked helicopter would be transported to its base in Subang for further investigation. He added that a detailed investigation will be carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau. 'Cooperation among multiple agencies expedited the recovery process and will enable a more thorough investigation.' On July 11, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said investigations were in line with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.
The Star
12-07-2025
- The Star
Family grateful son, colleagues survived police helicopter crash
JOHOR BARU: The family of Supt Ahmad Bustamin Baharom is grateful that he and his colleagues survived the police helicopter crash during a mock nuclear training exercise in Sungai Pulai. His father Baharom Mohammed, 82, and mother Che Ma Abu Bakar, 75, made a 10-hour journey from Alor Setar, Kedah, to Johor, arriving at Hospital Sultanah Aminah here just after dawn yesterday to visit their son. 'Before the training exercise on Thursday, my son called me to say he was about to board the helicopter. We prayed for his safety. 'Not long after, I received shocking news that the helicopter crashed into the sea during the exercise,' Baharom said. Despite the chaos of the crash, Supt Ahmad, 46, managed to escape the submerged aircraft and was the first to be rescued. 'Some victims were unconscious. We were told he was lucky to remain conscious throughout. 'When we saw him at the hospital, he could still speak to us,' said Baharom, adding that doctors assured the family that he is stable and recovering. He said Supt Ahmad sustained several injuries, including on his back, fractured ribs, facial swelling and numbness in his legs. 'His face is still swollen but the helmet he wore likely saved him from worse injuries. We are just grateful he is alive – the rest we leave to God,' said Baharom. He added that Supt Ahmad has four children, aged nine to 16. Earlier, Bukit Aman Air Operations Force Deputy Commander (Operations) Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Lokman Abdul Hadi visited the crash victims, followed by Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan. On Thursday, the Eurocopter AS3555 Ecureuil known as 'Squirrel' crashed near the jetty during a mock exercise attended by personnel from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Father recounts son's final call before police chopper crash
JOHOR BARU: "Before my son took off in the helicopter, he called me and asked for my prayers for everything to go smoothly," said Baharom Mohamed, 82. Baharom is the father of Superintendent Ahmad Bustamin Baharom, 46, who was involved in a helicopter crash along with four other crew members aboard an AS355N helicopter that went down near Sungai Pulai, Gelang Patah yesterday. Baharom said that shortly after the call, he received a phone call from the authorities informing him that his son had been involved in the crash. "My son called to let me know he was about to board a helicopter and asked me to pray for his safety before take-off. "Not long after, I received another call saying the helicopter he was in had crashed. I was shocked, but thank God, he survived and is now being treated in a general ward. "He suffered fractured bones, including his ribs, swelling to his face, and numbness in his legs, but he's able to talk and recount what happened," he said when met after visiting his son at the main lobby of Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) today. Baharom, a retired school principal, said his son was the first to emerge from the wreckage, which had crashed into the water, before being rescued by emergency responders. He added that his son was wearing a safety helmet at the time of the incident. "We're truly grateful because Ahmad Bustamin had previously undergone relevant training. During yesterday's incident, he managed to exit the wreckage on his own while still conscious and was rescued. "My wife, Che Ma Abu Bakar, 75, and I, along with the rest of the family, including Ahmad Bustamin's wife, travelled from Alor Star, Kedah at 10pm last night and arrived at 8am this morning. Ahmad Bustamin has four children aged 16, 13, 12, and 9. "Coincidentally, his eldest child who attends school in Alor Star happened to be in Johor for a school programme, so they were able to meet," he said. Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said that two of the five crew members on board the police AS355N helicopter that crashed near Sungai Pulai, Gelang Patah, were reported to be in critical condition. Both victims were on respiratory support, while the remaining three were in stable condition. The AS355 helicopter, owned by the police, was forced to make an emergency landing near the Sungai Pulai jetty in Gelang Patah while participating in the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore Maritime Operation (MITSATOM) 2025 training exercise. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed in a statement that the crash involved an AS355N helicopter with the registration number 9M-PHG. According to CAAM, the helicopter operated by the police departed from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9.51am carrying five occupants, including the pilot.
