Firefighters arrive with the body at the Bintangor Town Wharf.
SARIKEI: The body of an Indonesian man, who went missing after the longboat that he and two others were travelling in capsized in Sungai Rajang on Sunday, was found yesterday morning.
The victim was identified only as Rian, an employee of a Sibu-based electrical company.
Early yesterday, a member of the public found the body floating near Bintangor Town Wharf, about 11km from Muara Payang where the tragic incident occurred.
The member of the public subsequently informed the Bintangor police station of the gruesome find.
Bintangor Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) chief Nicholas Belulin said that upon being informed of the discovery by the police at 1.56am, a team of firefighters was sent to retrieve the body.
Rian’s body was later handed over to the police for further action.
Sarikei Bomba chief Mahmudin Narudin, who was in charge of the search and rescue (SAR) operation, said although there was no form of identity on the body, the clothing was consistent with what Rian was wearing when he disappeared.
“After the due identification process conducted by the police this morning (yesterday), a colleague who survived the ordeal confirmed the body to be that of Rian, thus we called off the SAR operation with immediate effect,” Mahmudin said when contacted.
The two survivors were another electrician, identified as Romilton Anthony, 27, and the owner of the ill-fated boat Bahtiar Janggu, 35.
According to a report lodged by Romilton at Sarikei police station on Sunday night, the tragic incident happened around 5.30pm when the three were on their way from Sarikei town to Muara Payang.
They set off from Sarikei around 5pm and were around half an hour into their journey when the longboat was hit by a big wave and capsized.
Romilton and Bahtiar survived the ordeal by clinging to the petrol tank before they were picked up by a fishing boat, he said. Rian is believed to have been carried away by the strong currents, together with the longboat.
Apart from the longboat and a nine-horsepower outboard engine, the boat owner also lost his wallet containing his identity card and RM200.