TENOM: A two-year-old boy who was reported missing from his home at Kampung Kuala Tolokoson Kemabong since 4pm on Thursday has been found safe by security forces and villagers in a rubber plantation, about 200 meters from his home, yesterday.
District police chief Deputy Superintendent Mohamad Firdaus Abdullah yesterday said the child known as Healezry Zeandfly Henderi was found around 10.25am, soaking wet but unharmed.
He said the incident occurred when the parents of the child returned home from buying groceries from Tenom Town.
The child who was in the house slipped out unnoticed while the father was unloading the goods to be bought into the house.
“At that time his mother was in the toilet, and when she came out she looked for her son but could not find him,” he said.
Firdaus said integrated intensified search operations were carried out with other security forces and the villagers upon receiving the report of the missing boy made by the parents.
“The operations involved ten policemen, eight personnel from the district Fire and Rescue Department, 100 civilians, 12 members from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and four members from the Health Department,” he said.
He said the police had not dismissed the possibility that the child had been ‘hidden by spirits’ as there were no criminal elements, besides. the village was in a forested area.
The child has been taken to Tenom Hospital to receive further treatment.
Firdaus reminded parents not to let their children outside the home alone without supervision from adults to avoid any eventualities.