KOTA KINABALU: The body of a 13-year-old boy was found on Sunday (Aug 23), hours after rescuers recovered the body of his 16-year-old friend from Sungai Pegalan in Keningau.
The Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) identified the victims as Jasti Gomen, 16, and Khend Rommel Ponce Caceres, 13.
The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department in a statement said the second victim was found by its Water Rescue Team (PPDA) at about 3.55pm, some 80m from where he was last seen.
The first victim was found at 10.34am, about 50m from the location where the boys were reported to have drowned.
Both were pronounced dead and their bodies were handed over to the police for further action.
According to witnesses, the two boys had been swimming in the river with friends near the Pagalan ferry jetty along Jalan Bakti Logam when they got into difficulties and drowned on Saturday (Aug 22).
The Fire and Rescue Department received a call about the incident at 3.15pm and initially carried out a surface search covering the river and its banks.
The operation was suspended at 6pm before resuming at 9am on Sunday.
On the second day, rescuers divided into two teams, with one conducting a surface search along a 3km stretch of the river while another searched within 500m of the victims' last known location.
The PPDA team began diving at about 10.30am and found the first victim four minutes later.
The operation, led by Keningau Fire and Rescue station personnel with assistance from the Kuala Penyu PPDA team, ended at 5pm following the recovery of the second victim.
