SIBU: A seven-year-old boy is believed to have drowned while taking a bath with his grandparents in Sungai Ngemah on Thursday (April 23) evening.
The victim has been identified as Nekson Dana Rainmond.
Kanowit Fire and Rescue Department chief Arrahman Chik said at about 4pm, the three of them were bathing in the river.
“At about 4.30pm, the grandmother was about to walk up the riverbank to change her clothes when she lost grip of the boy and he was swept away by the strong current,” he said.
The grandparents immediately ran back to the longhouse to seek help to look for the victim.
“From 5pm to 7pm after an intense search by longhouse residents using three longboats, they failed to find him,” he added.
Arrahman said Nekson’s parents together with the longhouse chief were afraid to seek the help of firemen and police as they feared they were in violation of the movement control order, which demanded that they stay indoors at all times.
However, following a discussion with the longhouse chief, Penghulu Juni Massam, both the police and firemen mounted a search and rescue operation to look for the boy. – The Star