NABAWAN: A wedding trip ended in tragedy when a mother drowned while her five-year-old son went missing when the boat they were travelling in crashed into a large rock in Logonggon River in the Pagalungan Sub-District here on Thursday night.
Disclosing the 8.20pm tragedy here yesterday, Keningau district police chief, DSP Robert Salisip @ David said it happened when the mother and son were among a family of seven adults and children from Kampung Salung on the way to Kampung Inaka in Pagalungan to attend a wedding.
“As they were travelling in the Logonggon River, the boat broke apart and sank after hitting a rock,” he said.
The woman and her son were swept away by strong currents while the other five managed to swim to the river bank, Robert said.
Robert said villagers later found the woman’s body, about eight kilometers from where the boat sank, while search and rescue effort involving the police, Fire and Rescue Department,and villagers continued yesterday.
It was dark at the time of the tragedy and it was that the boatman was inexperienced, he said.
Robert said the river was swollen with strong currents due to persistent rain but had not yet reached a level that could cause a big flood.