The SAR team carries the victim’s body.
SARATOK: A fisherman, 62, who was reported missing while fishing at Sungai Seblak in Kampung Sessang, about 41km from here on Monday, was found yesterday morning.
Sources from Saratok Fire and Rescue Department said Suhaili Ladi’s body was found by a search and rescue (SAR) team at 8.55am about 2km away from his boat, which was found floating in the river around 9pm Monday.
According to senior fire officer 1 Ali Sahar, who led a team of nine firemen to participate in the SAR operation, they relayed the news of the discovery to the State Bomba operation centre in Kuching at 9am.
He said the SAR operation, which also involved Civil Defence Department, Rela, police and the villagers, resumed the second day of operation at 8am covering an area of about 7km in radius before they found the body.
The remains have been handed over to the police, who subsequently sent them to Saratok Hospital for a post mortem.
Meanwhile, Saratok District police chief DSP Lee Thai Lien yesterday said they had classified the case as sudden death when contacted yesterday.
From the condition of the body, they believed the victim had died of drowning.
Until they have received a conclusive report from the hospital they found no clue to link the case with crocodile attack.
According to Uteh Ilin, her husband set out from their house around 1.30pm Monday and would normally return around 6pm the same day.
When he did not return as usual, the family became worried and sought assistance from villagers to conduct a search operation along the river.
It was after they found the victim’s unmanned boat floating in the river around 9pm that they decided to call Saratok Fire and Rescue station for assistance, she said.
That night, five firemen led by PBK 1 Ali Sahar came to conduct a search after obtaining information on the incident,
but due to poor visibility, the operation was called off at midnight.