DUNGUN, July 29 — A man and two children were found safe early this morning after being reported missing for about nine hours while engaged in forest activities near a waterfall at Pondok Munazil Siddiqin along Jalan Panchor Terap here.

Dungun Fire and Rescue Station chief Yahaya Hanafi said the victims were Izham Haziq Mohd Ridhuan, 23, and Muhammad Harraz Naufal Zamri and Ahmad Al Baihaqi Ahmad Nazri, both aged 10.

He said the department received an emergency call about the trio’s disappearance at 10.47 pm yesterday and immediately launched a search-and-rescue (SAR) operation.

“Preliminary investigations found that the victims had gone to the waterfall with several friends for a swim. However, at about 5 pm, one of their friends left earlier and was informed that the victims intended to hike up the hill via a stream trail to swim at the upper section of the waterfall.

“All three failed to return by nightfall, and the motorcycle belonging to one of them was still at the scene,” he said in a statement today.

Yahaya said the SAR operation involved seven firefighters from the Dungun and Paka fire and rescue stations, three police personnel and 30 members of the public.

He said the operation was temporarily suspended at 1 am due to safety concerns.

“However, police informed us at 2.20 am that the three victims had been found by members of the public who were searching the area.

“All three were found safe before being reunited with their families,” he said. — Bernama