SIBU: A man who was reported missing after the boat he was travelling in capsized in Sungai Gaat, Kapit on Sunday (May 31) was found drowned on Tuesday (June 2) morning.
A spokesperson for the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre said the body of the victim, Spielberg Dylan Sekunyir, 32, was found by villagers, who were assisting in the search and rescue (SAR) operation, at about 7.10am.
"The villagers alerted the police and fire department at 8.30am.
"The victim’s body was found floating along the riverbank, about one kilometre from the last location where he was seen before he went missing,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the spokesperson, the SAR team departed for the recovery site at 9am, and took about two hours to reach the location by land, before retrieving the victim’s body from the river and transporting it to the village jetty.
"The victim’s body was subsequently handed over to the police for further action, and the SAR operation was fully concluded at 3.50pm Tuesday,” the spokesperson said.
In the incident, at about 6.15pm last Sunday, the boat, carrying the victim and six other individuals, is believed to have struck a rock in the middle of the river before capsizing, while they were on their way back to Rumah Nading after attending a Gawai Day celebration at a nearby longhouse. — Bernama
