KUCHING, Feb 29 — Information provided by a journalist who saw two European tourists crossing a road helped firefighters track down the duo who were reported missing in the forest area of the Semenggok Wildlife Centre for Orang Utan, yesterday.
When contacted by Bernama, the Berita Harian journalist Mohd Roji Kawi, 52, said he was on his way back from Pusa to Kuching and stopped briefly in Serian to perform the Maghrib prayers.
“While searching for the mosque in Serian, I saw two Europeans who seemed exhausted crossing the road, but at that time it had not crossed my mind that they were the missing tourists.
“After I got home and saw the messages on WhatsApp, I realised that the two Europeans crossing the road were the missing tourists the firefighters had been searching for,” he said, reporting the incident to the search and rescue team.
Meanwhile, the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Operations Centre announced that the search and rescue operation for the two tourists was halted at 10.48am, after both were found safe at the junction to Lubuk Antu.
“Six personnel from the Siburan Fire and Rescue Station with the assistance of the K9 (tracker dog) unit were involved in the operation,” the operations centre said in a statement today.
The missing persons report was lodged by a wildlife centre official after the two men failed to emerge from the forest when the centre closed for the day at 4.30pm yesterday. — Bernama
