BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The body of a man believed to have drowned on Saturday (May 2) at the Brunei River, in front of the Forestry Department’s Bridge at Kampong Sungai Besar, was found on Sunday (second day of the operation) by members of the public near the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Bridge.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD), the body was handed over to FRD personnel before being transferred to the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).
A total of 12 personnel from Sungai Kebun and Berakas Fire Stations were dispatched to the scene with two boats and one diving unit vehicle, led by ASO Norazri and SO Firdaus.
Two divers conducted an underwater search at a depth of approximately seven feet.
The victim is believed to have fallen into the river while fishing, based on information provided by family members. The search operation covered a radius of approximately two kilometres across several sectors, including the use of ‘asree’ equipment for non-diving search operations. A Tactical Command Post was activated, along with aerial monitoring support from the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) using an Unmanned Aerial System.
The first day of the operation lasted eight hours.
FRD officers present during the operation included the Commanding Officer of Operations Branch ‘D’ and Head of the Fire and Rescue Department Diving Unit, SFR Mushidee bin Junaidi, as well as SO Yahya Mohd Jali.
Agencies involved in the operation included the RBPF, Marine Police, the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam, RBAirF and Emergency Medical Ambulance Services.
The public is advised to exercise caution when carrying out activities in water areas and to follow safety measures to prevent untoward incidents. – Borneo Bulletin/ANN
