Student drowns at Wong Ruan waterfall

SIBU: A male student, from a secondary school in Sarikei, was found drowned at Wong Ruan waterfall, Sungai Ruan, Ulu Bayong, Ulu Sarikei, today.

Sarikei district police chief Acting Superintendent Aswandy Anis said that the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tinggi Sarikei student, identified as Alex Lau Hui Ping, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene by medical officers from Sarikei Hospital.

He stated that the case was classified as a sudden death report, and the victim’s body was taken to Sarikei Hospital for further investigation.

“The police received information around 12.30 pm about a youth who had gone missing in the area of Sungai Ruan Ulu Bayong, Sarikei. The victim reportedly visited the waterfall with three friends at 11 am.

“While bathing, the victim is believed to have drowned without his friends noticing. They subsequently sought assistance from local residents to help locate him,“ he said in a statement, today.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre reported that 12 members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade from Lubok Lemba, Ulu Sarikei, conducted a dive at a depth of three metres at the incident site, before recovering the victim’s body.