BODY OF MISSING FATHER IN SUNGAI SENGAYAN INCIDENT FOUND

SIBU, April 18 (Bernama) -- The second victim who went missing after a four-wheel drive vehicle was swept away by strong currents while crossing Sungai Sengayan in Long Jekitan, Baram on Monday, was found drowned today.

Marudi Fire and Rescue Station operations officer Nasir Razali said the body of Dawellies Luing, 46, a student management assistant at SK Long Jekitan was found by the search and rescue (SAR) team at 2 pm.

He said the fourth day of the SAR operation began at 9.30 am using the river surface searching method, covering the river route from the mouth of Sungai Sengayan up to 21 kilometres downstream along Sungai Silat and Batang Baram.

“The search was conducted from the mouth of Sungai Sengayan and the victim’s body was found about 2.5 kilometres from the river mouth and seven kilometres from the scene of the incident,” he said when contacted tonight.

He said the victim’s body was brought to the Long Silat jetty and handed over to the police to be transported to Miri Hospital for a post-mortem. The SAR operation was called off at 8 pm following the discovery.

Dawellies and his daughter Vallerie Mentie, 9, were in a four-wheel drive vehicle with his wife Litun Ajip, and a driver when they were swept away while attempting to cross the river.

Litun and the driver managed to save themselves, but Vallerie was found drowned about two kilometres from the scene by villagers on Monday.

Her body was taken to the family’s home in Long Tikan and laid to rest on Wednesday.

-- BERNAMA