By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 9: The week-long search for a 48-year-old man feared drowned in the Sibiew River has been officially called off today after no signs of the victim were found, according to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
The victim, identified as Mawa Lembang, was reported missing on May 3 after he was last seen near the riverbank close to a squatter settlement in Kemunting, Bintulu.
A distress call was received at 9.11am on that day, prompting an immediate response from the Bintulu Fire and Rescue Station (BBP Bintulu), with the team arriving at the scene within minutes.
Under the command of Tinus Anyie, the operation entered its seventh day today, involving multiple search techniques along both upstream and downstream stretches of the river using an aluminium boat.
Despite systematic surface water searches in a radius of up to two kilometers in both directions, the teams found no traces of the missing man.
The final day’s efforts included three separate rounds of search activity involving Bomba personnel, police officers, and marine units. All efforts returned with no leads.
At 5.10pm, after a final joint-agency briefing, the search operation was officially called off until new information emerges.
The decision was made in consultation with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), who will continue monitoring the situation.
A total of 21 personnel from various agencies participated in the search, including members from the police, Marine Police, Civil Defence Force (APM), and Maritime authorities. – DayakDaily
