MIRI: The body of a teenage boy reported missing while bathing with friends at Batu 1 Kuala Baram beach on Monday (Jan 13) was found near a construction site today (Jan 16).
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri Zone Operations Section chief officer Lt-Cmdr Safril Aza Mustapa said Mohamad Iqbal Khairul Hisyam, 15, was discovered at 7.40 am at Lutong beach, about 3km from where he is believed to have drowned.
Construction workers at the site discovered the body and alerted the search and rescue (SAR) team for retrieval.
“Acting on the information, rescuers went to the scene to retrieve the body for identification. Mohamad Iqbal’s mother confirmed that the body was her son’s.
“Following the discovery, the SAR operation, which had entered its fourth day, was officially called off at 10.30 am,” he said at a press conference today.
Safril did not rule out the possibility that the victim’s body had washed ashore over the past few days but was not found earlier as the area is a construction site with limited access.
In this regard, he advised parents to avoid bringing their children to the beach, especially during the upcoming school holidays, due to the monsoon season.
The unfortunate incident occurred on Monday when Mohamad Iqbal, along with three friends aged 15 to 16, reportedly went to the beach around 4 pm to bathe before a large wave swept them into the sea.
While his friends managed to escape, Mohamad Iqbal did not resurface, prompting his friends to report the incident to his mother.
A search operation was immediately launched, involving firefighters from the Lutong station, police, MMEA, the Civil Defence Force (APM), marine police, and the Sarawak Coast Guard.
