KENINGAU: A six-year-old boy from Kampung Baginda, near here, is believed to have drowned in Sungai Pegalan around 11.30am on Thursday.
District Police Chief Supt Yampil Garai said police received a call from a man reporting that his six-year-old grandson had fallen into the river.
The victim was the fourth of four siblings and a pre-schooler at SK Binaong.
“According to the boy’s mother, before the incident, the victim and his elder brother were playing under the house. Shortly after, the older brother left for a nearby shop.
“She last saw the victim sitting on the stairs with a mobile phone before realising he was missing.
“Around 11.30am, the mother called out to the victim from inside the house but received no response. She then instructed his elder brother to search for him, but he was nowhere to be found,” he said.
Yampil said the house is located about 25 meters from the riverbank.
He also said at 12.40pm, the victim’s father arrived home from work, and the mother informed him about the situation.
The father then called on nearby villagers to help search for the child around the village and along the riverbank.
“The father suspected the victim had slipped and fallen into the river because, during the search, he discovered footprints, believed to be where the child had slipped.
He also found a pair of the victim’s slippers by the riverbank, about 60 meters from where he was suspected to have fallen.
“According to the victim’s parents, he was wearing a short-sleeved red shirt and long blue pants,” he said.
Yampil said there were no witnesses of the incident.
The victim had yet to be found when the search and rescue operation was halted in the evening, with plans to resume the search the following day.
