Kota Kinabalu: Two fishermen swam to safety, but one remains missing, after their boat capsized near a resort in Karambunai, here, Wednesday.
The authorities have yet to reveal their identities.
A distress call at 10.11 a.m. prompted a rescue party from Tuaran Fire and Rescue Station, commanded by Mohd Qawie Abd Gapar, to rush 28 kilometres to the site.
A rescue team led by Azran Jull was earlier deployed to the scene following an earlier distress call at 6.07am.
The Fire and Rescue Operations Centre initially received an emergency call from a civilian reporting a fishing boat that had capsized after being hit by waves near a resort in Karambunai.
Police, marine police, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency were also present to assist.
The rough waters made search and rescue activities challenging.
As of press time, the third fisherman was still missing. Firefighters and other agencies searching for victims in the vicinity of the pond during Wednesday’s operation.
In KENINGAU, search and rescue operation for an elderly local who was feared missing in Bingkor was suspended at 11.18am on Wednesday.
The Operation Commander said the victim was reported seen in Kampung Bunsit area.
The distance from the pond where the victim was last seen with Kampung Bunsit was 6km away and after discussions with the victim’s family and the police and other rescue agencies, the operation which entered the second day today (Wednesday) was suspended.
Operations will resume if there are new leads.
On January 24, the control room of the district Fire and Rescue Station received a call at 2 pm from the police that there was a man feared missing in the Bingkor pond here. A total of 14 firemen led by the Operation Commander, Sharudy Delimin were moved to the location with machinery.
Other agencies that participated in the operation were the police with four members, the Malaysian Defense Force (APM) with three members, the K-9 Unit (Lexi Detection Dog) and the Drone Unit.
According to the complainant (the victim’s brother), his brother (the victim) always had muscle cramps and had not returned home for several days and the last time the victim was seen was on January 20 at the pond location.
The workers in the area have found a black jacket, an old Nokia mobile phone, a power bank and also a saw (believed belonging to the victim).
The complainant tried to find the victim with the pond operator around the pond but failed.
The 61-year-old victim was a worker at the pond while the firemen along with the Police and APM aid agencies conducted a SAR operation around the pond before the operation was suspended at 5pm on Tuesday.
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