TAWAU: A 31-year-old man has gone missing after being separated from his cousin while fishing and foraging in Batu 32, along the Kalabakan-Maliau Basin Road, on Tuesday.
District Fire and Rescue Station chief Jemishin Ujin said a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched on Thursday to locate the missing man, identified as Khairul Saharin.
Police were alerted after a report was lodged on Wednesday stating that Khairul was last seen around 4pm that day and had not returned to camp since.
His cousin attempted to contact him through WhatsApp, but Khairul reportedly replied that his phone battery was running low before losing contact, and bad weather later hampered search efforts.
Rescuers, including firemen, police, and civil defence personnel, trekked through forest trails and hill areas during the operation, which was suspended at 3pm and will resume on Friday.
