Angler's fishing trip rudely interrupted when tree falls on him in Kota Belud

The angler being put on a stretcher after being rescued from the river.

KOTA KINABALU: An angler’s fishing excursion was rudely interrupted when a tree suddenly fell on him in Sabah’s northern Kota Belud district.

The incident took place when the 59-year-old man was busy fishing at a riverbank in Kampung Tamu Darat at about 8.30pm on Wednesday (Dec 7).

“The victim, together with the tree, rolled into the 4m-deep river after it fell on him,” said a Fire and Rescue Department spokesman on Thursday (Dec 8).

The man, who clung to the log in order to float, was later rescued by his son.

After being alerted to the incident, a fire team led by Kota Belud fire chief Muhammad Syazwan Latun rushed to the site and hauled the victim from the river and carried him on a stretcher 15m uphill from the riverbank.

“The victim complained of pain to his back and was given early treatment by our responders before being handed over to a paramedic team,” he said.

In another incident, heavy rain triggered a flash flood at a school in Tamparuli, about 40km from Kota Belud, at about 7.30pm on Wednesday.

A distress call was made to the fire department after the water level rose at SK Kouluan.

“However, the situation was manageable and no relocation of people was needed,” said the spokesman, adding the operation ended at 8.10pm.