Singapore man ‘lost at sea’ in US waters after falling off cargo ship

Coast guard suspends search operation 15 hours aftre man falls into deep waters

Representational: The 25-year-old man fell off the ship earlier this week (AFP via Getty Images)

A 25-year-old Singapore man was reported missing after he fell from a bulk carrier in US waters.

Muhammad Furqan Mohamed Rashid went missing on Tuesday after he fell overboard from the vessel 22km off the coast of Point Conception, California, the US Coast Guard.

The coast guard did not name him. He was identified by his friend Muhammad Fariz who shared an emotional post on Wednesday on Facebook and by his brother.

The 650-foot bulk, African Cardinal, was travelling from China to Long Beach.

He was attending a course to become a junior deck officer, his friend Muhammad Fariz shared Wednesday on Facebook.

“I come before you today with a heavy heart, seeking your support and prayers for a dear friend who is currently lost at sea,” Mr Fariz wrote.

The search and rescue operation to find Mr Rashid was suspended on Wednesday after searching for the missing crew member by air and sea for nearly 15 hours, officials said.

"The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person," said chief warrant officer John Rose. "We extend our deepest sympathies to this crewmember's friends and family."

The rescue efforts covered more than 200sq nautical miles involving a coast guard helicopter, a ship and a small crew boat. One more helicopter subsequently joined the search operation, according to reports.

The victim's family received news of Mr Rashid's disappearance on Wednesday, his 27-year-old brother Fathul Islam told the local newspaper Today Online.

“My father received the news at about 6am. I received it at 8am because (my parents) knew I was working the night shift and they did not want me to be emotionally affected by it,” he said.

The family was informed that after Mr Rashid fell, the vessel's watchkeeper called for help and released the “Man Overboard” lifebuoy in an effort to save him.

The vessel then turned back to search for him and alerted the US Coast Guard of the incident.

Mr Islam described his younger brother as an “honest and sincere” worker who took his job "very seriously".