KUALA BERANG: Police have doubled efforts and manpower in the search and rescue operation for a Form Four student who was reported missing after taking part in a marathon race in Sekayu here.
Hulu Terengganu police chief Deputy Supt Hussin Deraman said since Ahmad Rafikin Azman, 16, who was reported missing, had not been found as of 5pm yesterday, they decided to bring in four tracker dogs.
Ahmad Rafikin, who was among 540 participants in the race, did not complete the Gunung Gajah Terom marathon and his father, Azman Othman, 50, lodged a police report at about 6pm on Saturday.
Azman had earlier notified the organiser when he could not find Ahmad Rafikin, a student of Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, when he came to fetch him at about 3pm after the race had ended, he said.
All the other participants in his category had returned by that time.
“After waiting for some time, Azman, who is an assistant director at the Terengganu Education Department, made the police report.
“We have increased the number of personnel involved in the search and rescue operation from 42 to 92. Rain and darkness will not hamper our efforts to find him,” he said.
It is learnt that Ahmad Rafikin had slept in a tent at the location on Friday night and that he had left his mobile telephone at home.
A search was launched by comprising personnel from the Fire and Rescue Service, the police and people’s volunteer corps as well as local villagers.
Spokesman for the race secretariat, Mohd Rafi Kori said Ahmad Rafikin had passed the first checkpoint of the race for the junior 12km category at 9.26am but did not complete the race.
The race was organised by the Terengganu Tourism and Culture Ministry office and managed by the National Adventure Association.
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