By Nancy Nais
SRI AMAN, Mar 10: Seven days have passed, but Search and Rescue (SAR) team has yet to locate 3-year-old Patrick Igih Mohd Taufik who was reported missing from Rapak Baru oil palm plantation in Pantu.
Little Patrick went missing since March 4, at about 9.30am after his father and grandfather left him alone in a hut with a bottle of milk, located some 200 metres from where they had parked their motorcycle.
He was brought to the plantation as his father and grandfather, who worked as guides for Sarawak Forestry Corporation, had to carry some signages up the hill.
The father had allegedly left him alone in the hut, after he realised they had to trek up a steep hill.
Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operation centre said today’s SAR, headed by Sri Aman fire chief PgB Nik Muhd Afiq Nik Roslan was mounted by 71 personnel from various agencies and villagers, within the plantation, along the nearby river and hilly areas.
Today’s search was divided into two sectors, each covering within three- and four- kilometres radius of the search area.
“For sector 1, rescuers walk from the junction where the boy was last seen towards the oil palm plantation up to a pepper plantation ahead, covering about four km. For sector 2, rescuers walked within three km radius from the same junction to an oil palm plantation before strolling within Sungai Katek vicinity. They were also told to search and walk quietly, while paying attention to any suspicious odours,” the statement said.
Bomba also used drones to aid in the search.
As at 6pm today, they have yet to locate Patrick. SAR operations will continue tomorrow.—DayakDaily
