KENINGAU: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for a missing child in Sungai Pagalan entered its fourth day with efforts continuing on Thursday.
Acting Keningau Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) chief Desmon Al Mickey said operations began at 10am with the involvement of multiple rescue agencies and members of the public.
A total of nine firefighters, together with teams from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Civil Defence Force (APM) and villagers, are conducting surface searches from Sungai Mempikit to Sungai Ansip covering a distance of 2.8 kilometres.
He said questions had arisen from the public on why firefighters appeared cautious compared to volunteers who drifted along the river using drums.
“As an official rescue agency, we are bound by standard operating procedures (SOP) where the safety of personnel is the priority and we cannot direct members to use non-standard equipment that may endanger lives,” he said.
He said any incident involving personnel due to SOP violations could have legal implications for the department, the operations commander and the individuals involved.
Desmon said Sungai Pagalan poses significant risks, including strong currents, submerged debris such as tree roots and fallen branches, and the presence of reptiles such as crocodiles.
He said the SAR operation is conducted in a structured manner, with one team focusing on surface, visual and line searches within a one-kilometre radius from the point of last seen, while another team extends the search up to a five-kilometre radius towards Sungai Melalap in Tenom.
Despite ongoing efforts using surface search methods along Sungai Banjar and Sungai Mempikit, the victim has yet to be found.
Earlier, the body of the child’s grandfather, Fredoline Yariki, 60, was recovered on Wednesday, while his grandson, Muhammad Aidan Ridwan, 10, remains missing after both were believed to have gone to the river to test a newly purchased boat.
