LAWAS: A man has been reported missing after he is believed to have been swept away by strong river currents while attempting to cross a river in the Ulu Temburong area.
The victim, identified as Donysius Gabriel Goh, 36, was part of a Malaysian survey team comprising five other colleagues conducting operations along the Malaysia-Brunei international border.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 9.19pm, prompting a response team from the Lawas fire and rescue station to be deployed to the scene.
The incident is believed to have occurred at about 8.30pm on March 17, when heavy rain caused the river current to become dangerously strong as the group attempted to cross to their campsite, Bernama reported.
“One of the team members was swept away by the current and disappeared, while the other five survived. Initial search efforts by colleagues that same night were unsuccessful,” the department said in a statement.
Search operations resumed the following morning, covering a radius of approximately 700m from where the victim was last seen, but he has yet to be located.
All five surviving team members returned safely to their base camp at about 11.30am the next day before reporting the incident and seeking further assistance.
Authorities said the ongoing search and rescue operation will involve multiple agencies, but efforts are being hampered by challenging terrain.
“The area is dense forest near a river, with difficult access routes and no communication coverage, making search operations more complex,” the statement said.
The victim was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, yellow socks and rubber shoes.
