KOTA KINABALU:A 60-year-old man who was reported missing in a river at Taman Bersatu in interior Keningau was found dead on the second day of the search and rescue operation, while his 10‑year‑old grandson remains missing.
The victim, Fredoline Yariki, was discovered by members of the public from Team Gallen Star at 5.21pm Wednesday (March 25) about 7km from the last location he was reported missing at about 7pm on Tuesday (March 24).
His body was handed over to the police for further action.
Keningau Fire and Rescue Station acting chief Desmon Al Mickey said the second day of the SAR operation began at 6.10am involving nine firefighters along with other agencies, including the police, Civil Defence Force and members of the public.
“The operation was carried out using the ‘surface searching’ method along Sungai Banjar and Sungai Mempikit,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
He added that the second victim, Muhammad Aidan Ridwan, 10, the grandson of the first victim, has not yet been found. The search will continue Thursday (March 26) after it was called off at 6:40pm Wednesday.
Initial investigations revealed that both victims had gone to the river to try out a new boat the family had purchased before the incident.
However, the family’s search efforts only found the victims’ bag and personal belongings at the last location they were seen.
“The operation will continue until the second victim is found, with continuous monitoring carried out in the affected area,” he said.
