SAR operation at Gunung Senyum called off due to non-existent victim

KUANTAN: The search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate a man who had gone missing in the Gunung Senyum Recreational Forest in Temerloh near here, was called off today after it was believed that the 'victim' was non-existent, said Pahang Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) public relations officer Zulfadli Zakaria.

He said the SAR operation was activated yesterday evening after they were informed that two people had gone missing in the forest.

The department received information that a 29-year-old man had contacted the emergency line at about 5 pm yesterday claiming that he was lost, before being found by the rescue team about three hours later.

"The victim was found in a state of exhaustion and said he had to leave his equally exhausted friend behind in order to find help. However, efforts to locate the victim's friend, said to be in his 20s, failed.

"The initial investigations found that the victim had a record of mental illness is believed to be suffering from disorders and that his friend, who is also alleged to have gone missing, does not actually exist," he said in a statement here today.

Apart from the fire services, the SAR operation also involved the police, Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Forestry Department and local residents.

-- BERNAMA