SANDAKAN, March 31 — A five-year-old boy drowned while his six-year-old sister and a 22-year-old man remain missing after being swept out to sea yesterday in Sandakan.
The victims were part of a group that included the children’s 29-year-old mother, who survived and is currently receiving treatment at the Duchess of Kent Hospital.
Sandakan Fire Station chief Severinus Sainkui said in a statement today that the mother had taken her children into the sea around 1am for reasons still under investigation.
“They entered the water and were carried away by the waves,” he said.
Bystanders, including the woman’s cousin, attempted to rescue them, but only the mother was saved. The cousin and the two children were swept away.
Authorities launched a search and rescue operation at 1.13am involving the fire department, police, maritime officials and health personnel.
The boy’s body was recovered at 7.08 am, about 200 metres from where he was last seen, and has been sent for a post-mortem. The search for the missing girl and man continues. — The Borneo Post
