PAPAR: A 60-year-old fisherman reported missing at sea has been found dead, while his companion survived after both were earlier feared missing during a fishing trip off the coast here.
The victim, identified as Saimon Ongit, was discovered at 3.20pm near Pantai Kg Sangkabok, approximately 71km from the location where he was reported missing.
His companion, Primus Ujim, 52, was found safe.
Fire and Rescue Station Chief Rozlan Osman said the operations room received an emergency call from the police informing that the fishermen were feared to have fallen into the sea during the activity.
Search and rescue (SAR) operations entered their fourth day on Thursday, involving personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department, Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
The operation began at 8.20am with teams conducting coastal searches by boat covering areas from Kampung Bundusan to Muara Pengalat over a distance of about 4km.
Rozlan said one victim was successfully located alive earlier, while the second remained missing at that time, prompting continued SAR efforts using surface searching methods with a fire department boat covering about 7km from the reported incident site.
The deceased was later found washed ashore at Pantai Sangkabok, with family members confirming his identity following a formal identification process.
The body was subsequently handed over to the police for further action.
