KUCHING: A teenage construction worker was believed by his co-workers to have been possessed by an unknown entity after they had gone fishing at an ‘unclean’ part of a river on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old and two other workers went to the river, located in a jungle near their workplace at Mile 9 Kuching-Serian Road, around 8pm despite being warned by an older co-worker not to do so.
According to an acquaintance of the teen, the older man had warned the trio that the part of the river they intended to fish from was ‘unclean’ as there were spirits roaming the area.
The acquaintance added that the three friends had only just started to fish when they heard a shrill ‘bird-like cry’ which did not sound like any bird they knew of.
Terrified, they quickly packed their gear and headed back, only for the teenager to suddenly hug the trunk of a large tree, shouting that he did not want to go back but wanted to live in the jungle instead.
His two friends immediately pried him away from the tree and had to carry him back to their quarters, where he reportedly lied stiff on his bed with his eyes wide open and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Worried over his condition, his co-workers sent him to Sarawak General Hospital for a checkup around 11pm and his behaviour returned to normal shortly after, although he was not able to recall what happened to him in the jungle.