MARUDI: Search and rescue teams have recovered partial human remains believed to be those of a 64-year-old man who went missing while fishing near Sungai Ridan here.
The remains were discovered this morning during the second day of a multi-agency search operation for Liew Mei Koon, whose motorcycle and fishing equipment had earlier been found abandoned near a bridge along Jalan Industri Sungai Ridan.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said search operations resumed at about 8:00 am today (May 8) with personnel from the Marudi fire station returning to the scene alongside police officers and members of the public.
Authorities said difficulties were encountered while deploying an aluminium rescue boat because of limited river access, forcing rescuers to use a crane to lower the vessel into the water.
The search operation formally began at 10.20 am involving one Fire and Rescue Department boat, one police boat, a Civil Defence Force boat and a privately owned vessel.
At about 10.52 am, rescuers located partial human remains in the river, including two legs, a hand and a head, officials said.
Search efforts later expanded to an eight-kilometre radius from the location where the victim was believed to have been fishing as teams continued searching for additional remains.
Liew was reported missing on Thursday evening after villagers alerted his younger brother upon discovering his motorcycle, clothing and fishing gear near the riverbank.
The operation involved firefighters from the Marudi fire station, police personnel and members of the public.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm the cause of death.
