Scuba team recovered the victim’s body from the pond on Monday.
RANAU: A contractor drowned after falling from his machine while excavating soil in a pond at Kampung Keligan Kinaratuan here on Monday.
The victim, identified as Yohanes Wangka @ Junaidi Abdullah, 32, was found by scuba divers from the Ranau Fire and Rescue Station around 5.10pm, about an hour after the incident happened at 3.50pm.
A statement from the Ranau Fire and Rescue station stated that the victim’s body was found about five feet from the pond.
According to the statement, the victim was controlling his excavator when he fell into the pond, which was approximately two acres and about eight feet deep.
Eight Fire and Rescue Services personnel from the scuba unit arrived at the scene upon receiving a distress call at 4pm and managed to locate the victim’s body about an hour later.
The body was handed to the police for further action.