KOTA BELUD: The body of a man who was reported missing and suspected to have drowned while bathing in a river near Kg Purak Ogis Supuan on Tuesday afternoon was found about 2.1km from where he was last seen.
The victim, identified as Fernandez Anak Sawing @ Andin, 33, was discovered by members of the public at 6.30am on Wednesday.
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Kota Belud Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) Chief Elge Bakuk said the department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 5.12pm on Tuesday.
Nine personnel were deployed to the location, about 25km away, along with a fire engine and an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) utility vehicle.
“Upon arrival at 5.42pm, a search and rescue (SAR) operation was immediately launched along the riverbanks to locate the victim or any clues.
“However, the victim or any signs were not found, and the search operation was suspended at 8.15pm on Tuesday,” he said.
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Elge said the victim was later found by villagers in the river, about 2.1km from the last reported location.
“The victim was retrieved by the rescue team using a stretcher and was confirmed dead by the police. The body was then handed over to the police for further action, and the operation concluded at 8.35am,” he said.
He advised the public to remain vigilant when carrying out activities in rivers, especially during strong currents, to avoid such incidents.
Earlier, the victim had been bathing when he was believed to have been swept away by a surge of water from upstream of Sungai Kadamaian.
