Man missing after jumping into sea to evade arrest in Sandakan

KOTA KINABALU: A man is feared to have drowned after jumping into the sea in an attempt to escape the police in Sabah’s east coast Sandakan district.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said they received a report at 8.57am on Saturday (Feb 11) that the 18-year-old was nowhere to be found after throwing himself into the sea the day before at Kampung Pukat Pasir Putih.

According to information from the police, the spokesman said the man is believed to be a Filipino and added that it is believed that the man had leapt into the water in order to avoid the authorities.

“The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) had initially searched for the man for about an hour but to no avail,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that the district Fire and Rescue Department then launched a surface rescue operation, with its divers on standby to offer backup.

“We will provide updates from time to time on the matter,” the spokesman said.