An elderly man who went missing after falling into the Batang Oya River at Kampung Tanam Seberang, Dalat, Mukah was found drowned today during the second day of the search and rescue (SAR) operation.
The victim, identified as Henry Stamslaus Secon, 60, was discovered at about 9.15am, approximately 50 metres upstream from the spot where he was believed to have fallen into the river.
The incident was reported at around 1.30pm yesterday after villagers noticed a boat had overturned following a collision with a jetty near the victim’s home.
A subsequent inspection found that Henry was not inside the boat, leading to the belief that he had fallen into the river before the matter was reported to the authorities.
A spokesperson from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Centre said the department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 3.50pm yesterday.
Following the report, a team from the Mulah Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) was dispatched to the scene, located about 40 kilometres from the station, and arrived at 4.31pm to begin the search operation.
“The operation continued today, with the team moving to the location at 8am before the search began an hour later,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The operations centre later received information from members of the public at 9.15am that the victim’s body had been found floating about 50 metres upstream from the area where he was believed to have fallen.
The victim’s remains were brought to the jetty at 10am for identification by family members before being handed over to police at 10.30am for further action.
The body was later transported to Mukah Hospital using a police vehicle.
The SAR operation involved three firefighters with assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), RELA, Dalat Volunteer Fire Brigade (PBS) and local villagers before it was officially called off at 11am.
