by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 21: The search and rescue operation (SAR) for a 43-year-old man who went missing while fishing at the Sageng River has been temporarily suspended, seven days after the operations began.
According to a news report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), the SAR officially ended at 5pm yesterday after police and all agencies involved made the heavy decision to temporarily halt the operations.
Simunjan District Police Chief DSP Rafhan Kepli said the authorities are prepared to resume the SAR operation if there are any new leads that could help in their search for the victim.
“So far, the search efforts have been halted, but we will resume these operations if there are any further leads,” he was cited as saying in a statement.
Rafhan also expressed his gratitude to all parties who have assisted in the search efforts for the victim.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Marine Police Force Region 5, the Kuching Air Operations Team, the Simunjan District Civil Defense Force, the Simunjan Fire and Rescue Department, the Malaysian Volunteer Corps (RELA) Simunjan, and the local community for their support and assistance throughout this operation,” he added.
Present during the briefing to announce the end of the SAR operation were the father of the missing victim, Hamdan Anis, and representatives from the Simunjan District Office.
On March 14, a 43-year-old man, identified as Hamil Hamdan, was reported missing after failing to return home from a fishing trip in Kampung Sageng, Simunjan on March 13.
According to the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak, the victim reportedly left his home at No. 102 Kampung Sageng at approximately 11am to fish in the river. However, he failed to return home afterwards.
Villagers later discovered his boat and fishing equipment at the Segali River, raising concerns about his safety. – DayakDaily
