KUALA LUMPUR – A search operation for a missing person ended in tragedy on Tuesday afternoon when a 25-year-old man was discovered deceased inside a vehicle submerged in a river near Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak in Sungai Gadut.
The victim had been the subject of an urgent search by his family after he failed to return to his residence earlier that morning. Growing concerned over his unexplained disappearance, the family utilized the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology installed in his Toyota Yaris to pinpoint his last known coordinates.
According to Seremban District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Azahar Abdul Rahim, the digital trail led the family directly to the river’s edge. “Upon receiving the information regarding the vehicle’s last detected location, an immediate search and rescue mission was coordinated with the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM),” ACP Azahar stated during a press briefing.
The recovery operation, however, proved to be a grueling task for emergency responders. Senior Operations Commander of Negeri Sembilan JBPM Zone 1, Mohd Fadhli Shamsudin, reported that the department received the emergency call at approximately 5:00 PM. A specialized team of 13 personnel was dispatched to the scene to conduct the extraction.
“The team located the vehicle and confirmed the presence of the victim inside at 6:15 PM,” Mohd Fadhli explained. He further noted that the operation was significantly hampered by environmental factors. “The extraction process was difficult due to the depth of the river and the intensified water currents, a direct result of the relentless heavy rainfall that had persisted since the early hours of the day.”
Initial observations suggest the vehicle may have veered off the road and plunged into the water, though the exact circumstances leading to the incident remain unclear.
The victim’s body has been recovered and transported to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death. Local authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to rule out any foul play and to establish the timeline of events that led to the fatal plunge.
The police have urged anyone with dashcam footage or information regarding the vehicle’s movements in the Sungai Gadut area between early morning and late afternoon to come forward and assist with the ongoing inquiry.
