SIBU: The body of Kons Iskandar Ibrahim, 28, a policeman who perished in the boat tragedy near SK Lepong Baleh in the Kapit Division near here, was found on Friday (March 15), nine days after the incident occurred.
Iskandar was also the last victim to be found in the tragedy that also claimed the lives of another colleague, Sjn Jonathan Lambert, and two civilians who were on the ill-fated boat that capsized after getting caught in a whirlpool in the waters of Sungai Batang Baleh at around 5pm on March 7.
ALSO READ: Policemen feared drowned were escorting explosives to a timber camp, says Kapit police
"Iskandar's body, still fully dressed in police uniform, was found along Sungai Batang Rajang in the Seputin area, about 2km from the scene of the incident at 11.30am," said Kapit Fire and Rescue station chief Timoty Barat when contacted by Bernama on Friday.
He said a teacher, along with several other passengers aboard a passenger boat returning from SK Pelagus to Kapit, spotted the floating body in the river and immediately contacted the Kapit Fire and Rescue Department.
ALSO READ: Kapit boat tragedy: Two of three bodies found more than 100km from capsize location
Upon receiving the information, the search and rescue (SAR) team rushed to the location and confirmed that the body was of the last victim of the boat tragedy.
StarPicks
SHAPING THE FUTURE AT MMU
Timoty said the victim's body was then handed over to the police for further action and the operation was ended by the Kapit OCPD.
At the time of the incident, Kons Iskandar and Sjn Jonathan were reported to be traveling from Kapit to Nanga Tulie to escort 35kg of explosives along with detonators for rock blasting works for a road construction project in the Baleh area.
ALSO READ: Conditions pose challenges in Batang Baleh capsized boat search and rescue
The SAR operation, initiated immediately after receiving the incident report, only managed to find three victims two days after the incident, with Sjn Jonathan's body found floating near the Kapit Express Boat Terminal, while the bodies of two civilians, Jack Balan, 45, and Amerson John Nain, 47, were found drifting more than 160 km from where the boat reportedly capsized.
Another civilian, Moses Ngui, 47, who was also in the boat at the time of the incident, was rescued by the public. - Bernama