By DayakDaily Team
KAPIT, Nov 20: A 57-year-old man is feared drowned after the fiberglass boat he was in capsized upon hitting a submerged rock in the Pelagus Rapids near Nanga Makoh along the Batang Rajang River on Tuesday (Nov 19).
The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) in Kapit received a distress call at 9.17pm and promptly dispatched a team of firefighters to the scene.
The incident occurred at around 5pm when the victim, his wife, and a male worker were travelling together.
While his wife and the worker managed to swim to safety, the victim was swept away after the boat sank on impact.
Despite her efforts, the wife has been unable to locate her husband.
The victim is a resident of Rumah Belaja in Nanga Benin, approximately 30 kilometres from the Bomba Kapit base via waterway.
The Pelagus Rapids, known for its swift currents and concealed rocky riverbed, pose significant hazards to river navigation.
A search and rescue (SAR) operation involving the police, the District Office, Sarawak River Board, Civil Defence Force, and local villagers is currently underway.
The operation today focused on water surface searches, covering a two-kilometre radius from the incident site and extending from Kapit town to Nanga Makoh and Nanga Benin. — DayakDaily
