By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 2: A 19-year-old Indonesian man lost his life in a drowning incident on New Year’s Eve at a plantation in Kampung Sagu Sebuyau, Simunjan, after he slipped into a drain with strong currents.
The incident occurred at a Tradewinds Plantation, where the victim was identified as Rendi.
His body was later discovered at 11.45am, entangled in oil palm fronds approximately 1.5 kilometres from the location where he fell.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) report, BBP Simunjan Control received a call from the police at 8.25am regarding a suspected drowning case.
A team from BBP Simunjan was immediately deployed to the scene, located about 61 kilometres away, and arrived at 9.30am.
Based on a police report, the incident took place on Dec 31, 2025, at about 6pm, when the complainant and the victim went to an oil palm plantation in Kampung Kesindu, Sebuyau, to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends.
“On Jan 1, 2026, at approximately 4am, the victim and a friend were returning to their workplace at the Tradewinds plantation in Kampung Sagu, Sebuyau.
“While crossing a large drain using a wooden bridge that was submerged in water, the victim slipped and fell into the drain,” read the report.
The complainant attempted to pull the victim out but was unsuccessful due to the strong current.
Despite search efforts by friends at the scene, the victim could not be located, prompting a police report to be lodged.
A joint search and rescue (SAR) operation was subsequently carried out by Bomba, police, Civil Defence Force (APM), and plantation workers, covering a radius of two kilometres from the point where the victim fell.
At 11.45am, Operation Commander PBK I Awang Johari bin Onget confirmed that the victim’s body had been found about 1.5 kilometres downstream, entangled in oil palm fronds.
The body was handed over to the police for further action, and the SAR operation concluded at 1pm. — DayakDaily
