KUCHING: A retired military personnel who was reported missing while searching for bamboo shoots in Taman Reservoir here yesterday has been found dead.
The body of Kamarau Adong, who was in his 50s, was successfully located by a police drone during a search and rescue (SAR) operation at 10.30am today.
The Padungan Fire and Rescue chief Tan Min Chai confirmed that a team of SAR members rushed to the scene to examine the victim as soon as he was located.
He said that paramedics from the Health Ministry who arrived at the location confirmed the victim's death.
"The fire team recovered the victim's body from the forest area before handing it over to the police for further action," he said.
It is reported that the victim and his wife entered the forest located in the recreational area in Kuching at 7am yesterday to search for bamboo shoots.
They reportedly separated inside the forest, and after finishing their search, his wife, who exited the forest area, waited by the roadside.
However, as dawn approached and the victim did not emerge, his wife attempted to search for him but was unsuccessful, leading to a police report filed yesterday evening.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department's Operation Centre received information about the missing person at 8.20pm and mobilized six members from the Padungan Fire and Rescue Station for the SAR operation.
However, the SAR had to be suspended at 11.55pm and resumed this morning with the assistance of the police's drone unit.