SRI AMAN, Mar 4: A 3-year-old boy was reported missing from an oil palm plantation after his father allegedly left him at a resting hut in Rapak Baru, Pantu, today.
Sarawak Fire and Rescue (Bomba) department operations centre (PGO) received the emergency call from Sri Aman police district at 2.33pm.
According to PGO, the toddler had followed his father and grandfather, both whom work as guides for Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), into the plantation to mark a tree this morning.
“As the journey to the said tree was deemed dangerous due to the steep slope, the toddler’s father decided to leave him in the resting hut, with a bottle of milk before continuing their task.
“There were two signs that needed to be taken up to the tree, which was about 1km away. After carrying the first signage, the grandfather returned to pick up the second piece. That was when he noticed the toddler was nowhere to be seen,” the statement said.
According to witnesses who were farmers harvesting paddy nearby, they saw the toddler walking back towards the location where his father and grandfather had parked their motorcycles, about 200 meters away.
Failing to locate his son, the father lodged a missing persons report.
A search and rescue (SAR) operation consisting of four firefighters led by PBK II Chimiam Duyu, police and 20 villagers were immediately launched.
While SAR team desperately combed the area for the toddler, the weather was reportedly bad due to heavy rain.
As at press time, they have yet to locate him. —DayakDaily
