KOTA KINABALU: A man and his two young children drowned when their boat overturned after being hit by big waves in Sabah’s east coast Kunak district yesterday.
The family was on their way from Kampung Bangkuruan in the neighbouring Lahad Datu district to buy groceries in Kunak town when the incident occurred at 4pm.
The man, identified as Saujal Mangguna, 31, went missing after their boat capsized.
The bodies of his son, Mohd Haizal Saujal, 5, and daughter Suriani Saujal, 3, were found not long after the incident.
Fishermen rescued the man’s wife, identified as Kalsum Alam, 35.
Kunak police chief Sabarudin Rahmat said Saujal’s remains were eventually found at 10.40am today by a search party which also included several fishermen.
“The body was found floating near waters off Tagabua Island,” he said in a statement.
The bodies have been sent to the Kunak district hospital for a post-mortem, he added.