Firefighters inspect the site where a 33-year-old man went missing while fishing near Kampung Bukit Lalang, Semporna.
KOTA KINABALU: A 33-year-old man has gone missing after a fishing trip near the seaside area of Kampung Bukit Lalang, Semporna, Sunday (Feb 16).
The man was reported missing after failing to return home since he left for fishing at around 5pm. Concerned family members began searching for him at the location where they found his car and fishing rod near the Kampung Bukit Lalang bridge.
Semporna Fire and Rescue Station (BBP Semporna) chief Madzlan Sarman said they received an emergency call regarding the incident at 7.15am Monday (Feb 17).
"A team of six personnel, along with two fire rescue vehicles, was deployed to the location to gather more information and conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation.
"According to the information received, the victim was last seen leaving for fishing but never returned home. His family, who went looking for him, only found his car and fishing rod," he said in a statement Monday.
The SAR operation was immediately launched in the vicinity where the victim was last seen, with additional support from BBP Atas Air, which deployed five more personnel. The SAR team and other rescue agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM-10) and local villagers, conducted a surface water search in the area.
However, as of 5.31pm, the victim has yet to be found, and the SAR operation has been temporarily suspended. It will resume on Tuesday (Feb 18).
Meanwhile, in Sandakan, another SAR efforts continue for a 14-year-old boy feared to have drowned while catching prawns in the waters off Tanjung Semawang, Sandakan, since Sunday.
The Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department (BBP Sandakan) received an emergency call at 6.39am on 16 February regarding the missing boy, who has been identified as Muhammad Nor Aiman Arif.
According to reports, the victim had gone out to sea with friends at around 5.30am on Feb 15. However, he failed to return home by noon, prompting his family to search for him. They later discovered his boat in the Tanjung Semawang waters along with his hat floating on the sea’s surface.
Following the report, the Fire and Rescue Department immediately dispatched six personnel, led by Operations Commander PBK II Alan Ayuh, to the location, covering a distance of 45km from their station.
On the second day of the SAR operation, multiple agencies, including the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), and the Civil Defence Force (APM), joined the search efforts. Local villagers also assisted using private boats.
The operation, which commenced at 8am on Monday, employed surface water search methods using rescue boats along the shoreline of the area where the victim was last seen. At around 11:00 am, the SAR team successfully located the victim’s boat, but he remained missing.
By 6:30pm on Monday, after covering an area of 19 nautical miles, the search was suspended and will resume at 7am on Tuesday.
Maritime enforcement officials have urged the public, especially fishermen and coastal communities, to prioritise safety measures while at sea. The use of life jackets and monitoring weather conditions before heading out is highly encouraged to prevent such incidents.
For any emergencies at sea, the public is advised to contact the 24-hour Sandakan Maritime Operations Centre at 089-229504 or the national emergency line at 999.
