JASIN – A 73-year-old woman who went missing after venturing into an oil palm plantation in Chabau to look for vegetables was found safe on Wednesday morning, bringing relief to her family and villagers who joined the search.
Operations Commander, Senior Fire Superintendent II Hairunizam Meskam, said the victim, identified as Zoiyah Ismail, affectionately known as Mak Yah, was located at 11.07am about two kilometres from the Fire Control Centre (PKB).
“The victim was found safe and received initial treatment from the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) team before being sent to Jasin Hospital for further examination.
“The operation was officially ended at 12.29pm, and all personnel and machinery were recalled to the station,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department, the elderly woman had left her house around 2pm on Tuesday to search for vegetables such as banana hearts and other traditional kampung produce. However, she failed to return by nightfall, prompting her worried family members to seek help from the authorities.
An emergency call was received at 10.28pm, and a search team from the Jasin Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) was deployed immediately. The operation, which resumed on Wednesday morning, involved 10 firefighters including the elite STORM special team, with support from five policemen.
The search covered a two-kilometre radius from the control centre and was assisted by villagers from Chabau and Simpang Bekoh, who joined hands in the effort to locate the missing woman.
Her daughter, Hanisah Saiman, 40, expressed gratitude to all who came forward to help, saying it was her mother’s daily habit to enter the plantation alone to collect village vegetables.
“But yesterday she didn’t come back. I asked nearby villagers to help, and many from around Chabau and Simpang Bekoh joined in the search,” Hanisah said.
The safe discovery of Mak Yah ended an anxious night for the family and highlighted the strong community spirit in rural villages when faced with emergencies.