BETONG: Rescue divers are searching for a 16-year-old paddler who went missing after a boat with 18 occupants capsized in Beladin River here Wednesday.
In the 6am incident, the 18 paddlers of the ‘Sakai 18’ racing boat were practising for an upcoming boat race.
As they were approaching the Fisheries Development Authority Malaysia (LKIM) base in Hulu Beladin, they lost control of the boat and rammed into a barge causing the boat to overturn.
The 16-year-old missing paddler has been identified as Muhammad Izzat from Kampung Tengah Darat, Beladin, Pusa.
The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) received a distress call at 7.17pm.
Firefighters led by Henry Jugah from Betong station were immediately dispatched to the scene and a search and rescue operation was activated.
In the incident, among the 17 paddlers who managed to swim to safety, three of them — Hazwan Aryadi Jamel, 14, Ashfizan Sahari, 31, and Muhammad Alfin Lengah, 19 — were injured and sent to Sarikei Hospital.
