HULU SELANGOR: Belgian businessman Jean Francois Thomas, who was found dead at Bukit Rimau in Lembah Beringin, here this morning, had wandered about 15 kilometres off track before falling at a slope during an international running challenge on Saturday.
Police believe that the 34-year-old - who prior to his disappearance, was seen exhausted and seemed to face difficulty in finishing the 47km run - could have slipped and fallen at the two-metre high slope when he was trying to find his way at night.
Thomas, who registered under the name ‘Thomas Cools’ for the International Hash Challenge, was found with abrasions on his body, suggesting that he fell off the slope.
Hulu Selangor police chief Superintendent R. Supramaniam said eyewitness accounts suggest that Thomas appeared exhausted by the time he reached the second checkpoint, about 21km from their starting point in Rasa, at 12.30pm Saturday.
“When they continued towards their third checkpoint, another participant had advised Thomas to return to Checkpoint 2 and seek assistance as he was in weak condition.
"However, Thomas decided to continue. And when all the other participants reached checkpoint 3 at about 4.30pm, he failed to materialise,” Supramaniam told reporters at the scene today.
He said police believed that Thomas, based on his condition, could have taken several hours and reached the slope where he fell after dark.
Police said initial checks on the body showed that the victim died on the same day.
Supramaniam said police found all of Thomas' belongings, including his mobile phone, energy food and water bottle, among others, at the scene.
The victim's body was found about 10am this morning during a search and rescue operation carried out by police, the Kuala Kubu Baru Fire and Rescue Station, Civil Defence Force, and participants of the International Hash Challenge.
Thomas, who runs a business in Hong Kong, leaves behind a wife and a 10-month-old daughter.
He had been living in Malaysia with his wife and child for several years.
Meanwhile, a sombre air enveloped the SAR operation centre in Kampung Orang Asli Kerling here, with race participants hugging each other and crying upon seeing Thomas's body being brought down from the hill about 5pm.
Around 15 of them were also seen lining up at the side of the road to pay their last respects when the police Land Rover transporting Thomas's body to Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital passed by.