Search continues for teen believed to have fallen into river

0
APM personnel involved in the search and rescue operation.

APM personnel involved in the search and rescue operation.

KUCHING: A search and rescue operation will continue today to locate Sylvester Kilat Lee, 19, who is believed to have fallen into the river at Kota Samarahan after he went missing on Sunday afternoon.

An operation involving three boats and over 20 personnel from the Samarahan Civil Defence Force (APM), police and Fire and Rescue Department yesterday ended around 6pm.

According to an APM spokesperson, the victim is believed to have fallen into the river at the construction site of a bridge project at Kampung Baru around 1pm.

His personal belongings such as a handphone, a shirt and some daily items were found at the scene.

“He was last spotted in a pair of jeans. The police concluded the possibility of the victim drowning at 87 per cent,” the agency said in its operations update yesterday.

A report was filed around 4.40pm on Monday with the Kota Samarahan district police headquarters after Lee could not be found at his temporary place of accommodation and work on board a sand dredging barge.

According to the report, the victim had gone out alone to buy vegetables.

The complainant suspected something was amiss after finding the victim’s groceries at the kitchen of his accommodation.