KUCHING: The Fire and Rescue Department's Water Rescue Unit based in Sibu has been placed on standby as rescuers fear the last victim of the March 7 boat capsize that took place on the confluence of the Rajang River and its tributary, Constable Iskandar Ibrahim, could be trapped in the sunken boat.
However, Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department chief Datuk Khiruddin Drahman said the divers from the unit, better known by its initial PPDA - which stands for Pasukan Penyelamat Dalam Air in Malay – would not be going in so soon.
He said the unit must do a safety assessment first and officers of the unit have been ordered to the general area of the incident to make the assessment.
"At the moment, not possible," he told the NST.
Khiruddin said from the initial report he received from the Sibu Fire and Rescue Department chief Andy Alie, the river current is "strong" and visibility underwater is "zero."
Andy's report also stated there are three water turbulence identified near the incident site and the depth of the river there is also unknown.
Khiruddin said the plan now is for the Sibu Water Rescue Unit to send a team to Kapit to do the safety assessment while the Marine Department conduct an underwater sonar sweep at the site where the department's K9 cadaver dog, Bella which joined the search today, reportedly picked up some scent.
The sweep is to identify underwater obstacles that could pose a hazard to the divers.
The equipment to measure the depth of the river will also have to be sourced, he added.
He said if they were to take the dive operation, the best possible time would be during the low tide.
The Water Rescue Unit was placed on standby after the cadaver dog reportedly picked up some scent in the vicinity of the incident.
A police cadaver dog has also joined in the search today, the eighth day.
The dog from the K9 unit is based in the town of Serian, some 52km from here.
The SAR had recovered the body of Iskandar's senior colleague, Sergeant Jonathan Lambet, 51; the driver of the boat, Jack Balan, 45 and director of the company whose explosives they were escorting, Amerson John Nain, 47 .
Lambet's body was found floating near the Kapit express boat terminal late Saturday afternoon while Balan's was found earlier in the day in the waters of Pulau Kerto in Sibu, more than 100km from the site of the incident.
Lambet and Iskandar, attached to the Kapit district police headquarters, were escorting the consignment of explosives and detonator caps that were being transported to Nanga Tulie on the Baleh River.
The explosives were reportedly to be used to blast rocks on a road construction project.
Nain's body was first spotted Saturday in the waters near Bintangor but authorities reportedly "lost" it and the body drifted away in the strong current of the Rajang River.
It was later found again in Batang Lebaan, nearly 200km from the site of the capsize.
There were five people on the ill-fated boat which capsized after reportedly hitting "swirling waters."
One passenger, Moses Ngui, 47, was rescued by passing boaters.