Tuaran: A 25-year-old man who was feared missing in a forest area near Kampung Kitapol in Kiulu since last Tuesday, was found safe on Sunday.
Ireneus Hendry Anthony, 25, was found by villagers at a rubber plantation hut about 10km from Kg Kitapol.
Tuaran District Fire and Rescue Station Chief, Abdul Qawie Abdul Gapar, said the search and rescue operation that entered its third day ended around noon when the discovery was made known.
“However, the victim did not want to face the rescue team for personal reasons and only informed himself that he was in good health.
“The victim’s family members also begged the rescue team not to continue the operation and requested that the incident be handled by family members,” he said.
Abdul Qawie said that the victim who spent a night in the hut obtained food from nearby vegetable crops.
According to sources, the victim lost his father a few years ago before his mother remarried.
The man was said to be angry with his brother in Kg Kitapol before deciding to return to his grandfather’s house in Kg Sinansag.
The victim who walked through rubber plantations and forests for 14km to get to the location spent the night in a hut before planning to continue his journey at sunrise.
The worried grandfather contacted the family in Kg Kitapol informing that the victim had not arrived at night.
Last Thursday, the Fire and Rescue Department received the emergency call at around 3pm. A search party of ten in addition to the Drone, K9 and the Royal Malaysian Police rushed to the scene.
It is also understood that although the victim was feared missing since last Tuesday, authorities were only contacted three days later.
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