KUCHING: A teenage boy who went missing in Sungai Beladin — after a boat capsized following a collision with a barge on Wednesday — has been found dead.
State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) assistant operations director Tiong Ling Hii said the boat with 18 paddlers were practising for an upcoming boat race at Sungai Saribas, when they somehow lost control of their boat 50 metres from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) and collided with a barge at 6.30pm.
“As the search and rescue (SAR) operation entered its third day, villagers notified the search team that they found the remains of the boy, identified as Muhammad Izzat Farhan Ismail, 16, at 11.40am,” he said in a statement.
He was found about 7.6 kilometres from where he was last seen. He is believed to have drowned.
Tiong pointed out the deceased’s body was handed over to police for further action and the operation ended at 12.45 pm.
Also present during the operation was Beting Maro assemblyman Razaili Gapor.
On Wednesday, an SAR operation was activated to locate Muhammad Izzat after the longboat with 18 paddlers capsized in Sungai Beladin.
Witnesses indicated that 14 victims managed to swim to safety by the riverbank, while Muhmmad Izzat and three others were swept away by the river current.
Onlookers attempted to help by throwing a rope, but Muhammad Izzat failed to grab hold of the rope and was swept away by the current.
