IPOH: The Water Rescue Team (PPDA) was hampered by murky waters and strong currents in their frantic search for a boy who is feared drowned in a river near Teratak River View Lubuk Hantu, Simpang Empat, Tanjung Malim, last Saturday.
Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the heavy rains from 4am to 7am yesterday caused the strong currents and the water in the deep pools to turn cloudy.
Thankfully, he said the weather looked good today and the water much clearer with less current compared to yesterday.
“This river has rapids, so it is not deep all the way. The deep pools are only at certain spots so we will only concentrate there,“ he said when contacted here today.
He said the search and rescue for the boy which is into its third day continued at about 8.30 this morning involving 24 personnel from Tanjung Malim Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) as well as Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar and Teluk Intan PPDA.
Tracker dogs (K9) are also in action to locate the victim and in total 52 personnel from various agencies are involved in the operation this morning.
He said trap points have been set as far as 2.5 kilometres from the location where the victim was last seen.
“The body of a drowned person will surface within 24 hours. We were worried yesterday as it has been more than 24 hours and the body could have surfaced when the search was called off,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Sabarodzi said the victim, Edward Grang Anak Jenggut, aged eight and from Sarawak was the second of three siblings.
He was camping out with his family to spend the school holidays and they were supposed to return home the evening he went missing.
Last Saturday the fire department received a distress call about the victim who was feared drowned while bathing in the river. He wore a black swimsuit with green spots when he went missing at 5.06 pm. -Bernama
