Body of elderly man retrieved after pick-up fell into Sarawak River

KUCHING，15 Mei: The body of an elderly man was recovered from Sarawak River after the pick-up truck he was driving, fell into the water near the Tun Salahuddin Bridge last night (May 14).

Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu confirmed the discovery at a press conference held at the scene this morning.

Police had received an emergency call at 9.16 pm last night, alerting them that a pick-up truck had fallen into the river.

He said a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched at 10pm involving multiple agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Civil Defence Force (APM), Sarawak Rivers Board, and Marine Police. However, the search was called off at 3 am with no success.

“Efforts resumed at 7 am, and at around 10am, Bomba’s diving unit recovered the body of a 62-year-old man, believed to be from Bintawa Village. His vehicle was also located and is set to be retrieved using a crane.
“So far, we have found one body and one vehicle. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, and we are working to identify and contact the victim’s next of kin,” he said.

Alexson added that the case is currently classified as sudden death, as there were no signs of foul play.

“I urge the public not to speculate or make assumptions that may paint Kuching as unsafe,” he said.