KOTA BHARU: An angler who was reported missing after falling into Sungai Pengkalan Nangka in Tumpat on Saturday was found drowned at 11.31 pm last night.
Operations commander Senior Fire Officer II Mohd Nazdy Mohd Nor said the body of Muhammad Salam Mohd Daud, 27, was discovered by villagers at the same location where he was reported to have slipped and fallen.
“Muhammad Salam’s body was found floating by villagers,” he said today.
He added that the body was sent to Tumpat Hospital for further action and that the search and rescue operation has been officially concluded.
Yesterday, the media reported that the victim and his friend, Mohammad Nor Amirul Mohd Zaid, 25, had gone to the location around 9 pm on Saturday to fish, when Muhammad Salam slipped and fell into the river.
Meanwhile, the victim’s father, Mohd Daud Che Husin, 56, expressed gratitude that his son’s body was found, despite the tragic outcome.
“I have been praying and performing special prayers for my son’s body to be found – even if he is no longer alive – so that we would at least have a grave to visit,” he said, adding that his son, the third of five siblings, will be laid to rest at the Kampung Talak Muslim Cemetery today.
Meanwhile, in KUALA KRAI, two Orang Asli siblings who had been reported missing in Sungai Kampung Kilat since Saturday were found drowned at two separate locations in Machang and Tanah Merah.
Sungai Durian Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) chief Zulhilmi Baharudin said the first body was discovered at 8.50 am today in Pengkalan Pasir, Paloh Rawa, Machang.
“The second body was subsequently found around 10 am in Pengkalan Pasir, Bukit Panau, Tanah Merah,” he told Bernama briefly today.
Yesterday, it was reported that two Orang Asli brothers, aged 17 and 16, were feared drowned after going missing in Sungai Kampung Kilat, Kuala Krai, on May 3.
According to Zulhilmi, the body of Irruwan Rantau, the older of the two siblings, was found by villagers in Machang, about 25 kilometres from the site of the incident.
“The second body, that of Rahidi Rantau, 16, was discovered in Tanah Merah, approximately 35 kilometres away,” he told reporters in Kampung Lubok Kawah today.
He explained that the considerable distance between where the bodies were found was likely due to weather conditions and strong river currents following heavy rain the previous night.
“Both bodies will be sent to Machang Hospital and Tanah Merah Hospital for the post-mortem process,” he added.
