By Malcolm Lau
KUCHING, Sept 12: A person with disabilities (OKU) went missing after he went out to the river using a fiber boat at Sungai Batang Rajang near Sungai Nanga Engsengai, Kanowit this morning.
The incident happened at 7.30 am when the missing 18-year-old victim went out to deliver an oil barrel across the Sungai Kaabah.
According to the Kanowit district Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) assistant fire superintendent, Arrahman Chik, the boat which was used by the missing teenager was found floating on the river at 9.30 am by the villagers near the river.
However the teenager was nowhere to be seen.
A police report was made by the teenager’s family member at 10.27 am in which his mother informed that he was an OKU cardholder.
Subsequently a search and rescue (SAR) operation was activated by Bomba for the search of the missing teenager.
Bomba members used ‘surface searching’ technique using a Bomba rescue boat at the scene where the teenager’s boat was found.
It was reported that Bomba was also facing some difficulties in the operation such as there was no Governmental Integrated Radio Network (GIRN) coverage and internet network coverage at the area was poor.
The missing teenager is still yet to be found as at 3.15 pm. -DayakDaily
