KOTA KINABALU: Search and rescue efforts continue for a 52-year-old man believed to have been attacked by a crocodile while collecting driftwood along Sungai Banting in Kampung Banting, Sipitang.
The victim, Pungut Madin, was reported missing at around 2.30pm on Thursday (May 1) when he was in the river while his three relatives waited in a boat nearby. One of them witnessed a crocodile suddenly grabbing him and pulling him underwater.
Despite their attempts to save him from the boat, they were unsuccessful. The group then returned to the jetty to alert villagers and contacted the authorities.
The multi-agency search and rescue (SAR) operation, which entered its fourth day on Sunday, involved the Civil Defence Force (APM), Fire and Rescue Department, police, Sabah Wildlife Department, Forestry Department, and local villagers.
According to APM Sipitang, teams began operations at 8am and carried out several search rounds along the riverbank throughout the day. The victim, however, has yet to be found.
The Civil Defence Force deployed two officers and four personnel along with a boat and a Hilux Revo vehicle, while the police contributed two officers and 11 personnel with additional support equipment, including a generator and boats.
The Fire and Rescue Department mobilised eight personnel, a boat, an emergency medical response unit, drones and heavy machinery. The Sabah Wildlife Department and Forestry Department also participated, alongside 29 villagers with 10 boats.
The search was temporarily suspended at 6pm and is expected to resume at 8am on Monday.
