BINTULU: An 18-year-old youth, Valentino Austin Richie from Rh Sewa Amoi, was found lifeless this morning (Nov 24) after being swept away by strong currents at Pantai Batu Mandi on Saturday evening.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) discovered the victim’s body at 9.15 am, approximately 1.5 km from the search and rescue (SAR) control post.
A spokesperson from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) confirmed the recovery of the body, stating that it was transported to the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) jetty before being handed over to the police for further investigation.
With the discovery of the victim’s body, the SAR operation was officially called off at 11.15 am.
The incident occurred on Saturday (Nov 23) around 6.10 pm when Valentino was caught in strong currents while bathing at the beach.
Firefighters from Bintulu station were immediately dispatched to initiate the search and rescue efforts.
