By Nancy Nais
MARUDI, Apr 27: The 23-year-old man who went missing last Friday had been found safe by the search and rescue (SAR) team at the same the family members were conducting miring ceremony at Sg Melikat this morning.
The victim Cassidy Ali, 23, from Kampung Sg Melikat A was reported missing on April 24 morning he went out fishing with his friend Markus Adrian.
They went to Sg Melikat which is about 40 minutes by foot from their longhouse.
According to Markus, he chose to fish downstream while Cassidy went upstream, about 80 meters away.
At 4pm, Markus decided to head home as the day was getting darker. After calling for Cassidy several times but to no avail, he decided to walk back to the longhouse, thinking that his friend had left for home without him.
Upon reaching home, Cassidy was nowhere to be seen, prompting the longhouse folks to initiate a search for him. A police report was also lodged at Marudi police station the next day.
Fire and Rescue department (Bomba) Marudi station was immediately alerted and a search and rescue (SAR) operations was activated.
Failing to locate Cassidy for two days, his family members decided to conduct a miring ceremony this morning.
According to the native traditions, when all practical measures failed to solve a problem, the local natives would be compelled to perform the miring ceremony, either to appease the spirits and the gods of the natural world or to ask for help.
Entering into the third day of SAR operation, the Bomba personnel started at 8.30am this morning where they were divided into three teams.
“While the SAR team was combing the area, the family members who were conducting the miring ceremony heard a voice of someone crying.
“They immediately traced voice, and found the victim about 6km away from the longhouse. The victim was weak but safe. He had several scratches on his face, arms and legs.
“Cassidy told the SAR team that he had been depending on water to survive>. He shared with the SAR team of his ordeal he went through in the jungle in the past four days the four days.
“He also related how he heard people calling his name but he was unable to reply due to his weak condition,” said Bomba in a statement today.
Using a stretcher, SAR team brought Cassidy out of the jungle and the team reached Bomba’s command post at 1.30pm.
Cassidy was then handed over to the police for further investigation. — DayakDaily
