Missing man wandered the forest for 3 days
BETONG: A man who was reported missing since Wednesday after leaving his house at Jalan Mission here was found safe yesterday.
The middle-aged man, identified as Lai Chiu Pau was found by his relative at 3.55, after he exited the forest by himself and went to his relative house at Kemarau Cangan longhouse some 3km from location where he was reported missing.
State Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson said yesterday’s search and rescue (SAR) operation which entered its second day resumed at 9.39am and ended with the discovery of the missing man at 4.40pm.
It is learnt that Lai has a history of receiving psychiatric treatment at Sentosa Hospital in Kuching.
Lai’s younger sibling lodged a missing person report at Debak police station around 9.30am on Friday, which was later forwarded to Betong Fire and Rescue Department.
A SAR operation comprising police personnel, firefighters and several civilians including members of Lai’s family was immediately launched.
The firefighters had set up a SAR outpost at the Mungu Prin oil palm plantation-nearly 40km away from the Betong fire station.
The SAR covered the areas from Jalan Pekan Debak to Jalan Betong.
Meanwhile, in a separate SAR operation, the search party failed to locate a man who was reported missing on Thursday with no clue of the whereabouts of Lembong Pin, 75.
State Fire and Rescue Department assistant operation director Tiong Ling Hii when contacted said the operation at Kampung Serpan Laut, Asajaya was resuming.
“Kota Samarahan fire station deployed four of its personnel led by PBK II Mohd Subari Beni and assisted by three firefighters from Batu Lintang fire station.”
Lembong, from Kampung Serpan, Asajaya, was reported missing after villagers at Pasir Ambal found his boat unattendedwhich triggered fears that he might have fallen off his boat and was swept away by the sea current.
Several villagers also claimed that Lembong was last seen around 1 am on Wednesday at the same location where his boat was found.