Big Search In Devil Lake For Missing Man Continues
By Liza Mohamad

Seria - The mystery of the missing man who disappeared in a manmade jungle lake, said to be haunted according to some locals, continues with no sign of him being sighted despite a massive search.

But efforts are still ongoing by the Kuala Belait District Fire Department to locate the missing 38-year-old Iban man, Wansur Ak Nyalu, 38, believed to have drowned in a 500 meter manmade lake along Lumut by-pass after a fishing trip with friends and his child on Monday afternoon.

According to a survivor, Nitai Ak Jelau, 53, from Kg Jabang, Seria, the victim with his son and a child relative and another friend had gone fishing in the lake 400 meters deep in the jungle of Lumut by-pass, since 7 am in the morning.

Nitai said that the boat carrying five people ran into a whirlpool throwing all of them into the deep. He added he was concerned about the safety of the two children and had little recollection of what occurred to the two others. He managed to bring up the two children to hang on the side of the boat and immediately swam ashore.

But relatives who gathered information from the other survivor stated that the incident occurred at about 2 pm yesterday and when the boat capsized and the victim had pulled his son back into the boat but unfortunately could not save himself and disappeared underwater.

The Fire Services officials received the emergency call at about 5 pm. A large contingent from the Seria Fire Services and the Diving Unit from the Berakas Fire Services Department are still trying to locate the victim since Monday night.

Meanwhile, RTB reports the massive search operation is still underway for the missing man.

The Divers' Unit of the Fire Services Department is leading the operation with the marine police assisting who were dispatched to the site this morning.

The tragedy occurred at 2 pm yesterday when the victim, Wansur and four others were casting their net in the deeper part of the manmade lake.

According to one survivor, the accident happened when the boat overturned. The lake is 500 meter wide and 3.5 meter deep.

Rescue operation was launched immediately by the Seria Fire Services, the Divers Unit of the Berakas fire services, police from the Panaga and Sungai Liang police stations after a report was lodged at about fifteen minutes past five in the afternoon.

The four men who survived the tragedy were the victim's eight year-old son, his brother-in-law, his uncle and a friend. All of them come from Kampung Jabang in Seria. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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