Labuan rescue teams recover body of missing eight-year-old boy from Sungai Ganggarak Permai, about 50 metres from where his slippers were found.

LABUAN, June 18 — The body of an eight-year-old boy who was feared drowned in Sungai Ganggarak Permai here yesterday evening has been recovered today.

The victim, identified as Putra Faris Suhaimi, was found floating at about 3.30pm, roughly 50 metres from where a pair of slippers believed to belong to him was discovered the previous evening.

He was located by search-and-rescue teams made up of emergency personnel and local villagers who had been conducting operations in the area.

The boy was reported missing after he was believed to have fallen into the river on Wednesday evening, with family members staying at the scene since the incident.

Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director Abdul Rahman Ali said authorities received an emergency call at 6.36pm yesterday and immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation.

“However, the exact time the boy went missing has yet to be determined,” he told Bernama.

He said 14 firefighters from the Layangan Fire and Rescue Station were deployed, assisted by police, the Tanjung Aru Water Rescue Team (PBS), the Wildlife Department and local villagers.

He added that boats of various sizes were used to search the river, while the Wildlife Department assessed environmental risks, including the possible presence of crocodiles.

The body has been sent to hospital for a post-mortem examination. — Bernama