Kanching (left) speaks to a Bomba officer at Rumah Panjang Ulu Lichok before she was sent to the Saratok hospital.
KUCHING: A 72-year-old woman identified as Kanching Lesi from Rumah Udeng Ulu Budu, Saratok who went missing yesterday, was found alive by the longhouse folk from Rumah Panjang Ulu Lichok at their farm this morning.
The distance between Rumah Udeng Ulu Budu and Rumah Panjang Ulu Lichok was about three hours walk through a secondary jungle.
The Search and Rescue (SAR) operations commander Nazri Mohamat from the Saratok fire station said when the team found Kanching, she was experiencing fatigue and was sent to the Saratok hospital for further treatment.
Kanching was reported to be missing by her daughter at the Saratok District Police Headquarters at 6.41pm yesterday.
According to her report, her mother who was supposed to meet her at their farm at 8am failed to show up.
Sensing that something was amiss, the daughter walked back to their longhouse only to be told by the longhouse folks that her mother had left to the farm.
A search was conducted by the longhouse folks the whole morning before they decided to lodge a police report in Saratok.
A SAR operation was then launched on the same day until 10.30pm. It was later continued this morning at 8.30am covering a distance of two-kilometre radius from the victim’s longhouse.
Following the discovery of Kanching, the SAR operation was officially called off at 12.30pm today.
Also involved in the operation were the police, Malaysia Civil Defence Force and 20 folks from the victim’s longhouse.