Man missing while hunting for ‘spirits’ found drowned

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The victim’s body being transported to the jetty in Saratok following the discovery.

SARATOK: A villager who was reported missing while supposedly on a hunt to ‘capture’ spirits, was found drowned yesterday.

The deceased, identified as Junaidi Lunsa Dugat, 49, was located around noon by family members, some 200 metres downstream from their village along Sungai Engkabang, Krian.

SAR members retrieve the villager’s body from the river.

A Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) spokesperson said villagers had initially spotted footprints along the riverbank, believed to be Junaidi’s, which suggested he could have fallen into the river.

The discovery of the footprints led to search-and-rescue (SAR) operation personnel and villagers to focus their efforts along the river, eventually leading to the discovery of the victim’s body.

Junaidi was reported missing by family members after failing to return home on Sunday. Villagers said he left his house alone around 4.30am that day, telling them he was going out to capture spirits.

They added that they declined his invitation to join him as they assumed he was joking.

Following the discovery yesterday, the body was brought to the jetty here and handed over to police for further action.

The SAR operation also involved police, Rela and Civil Defence Force (APM) personnel.