Lubok antu: A family outing during the Gawai Dayak festive season and school holidays ended in tragedy when a man drowned at the Batang Ai Dam area in Lubok Antu yesterday. A spokesman for the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said the body of Rudie Lan, 31, was found at 9.41 pm by members of the Water Rescue Team at a depth of about five metres and within a one-metre radius of the location where he was last seen.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the body was handed over to the police at 9.55 pm for further action before the search and rescue operation was fully concluded at 10.08 pm. The department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 6.05 pm, after which a team from the Betong Fire and Rescue Station was deployed to the scene.

The spokesman said that based on information provided by the complainant, the victim was believed to have jumped into the water for a swim and failed to resurface. He added that the victim's family sought help from the department and other relevant agencies after their initial search efforts were unsuccessful.