Sarawak copter crash: Last body found, focus now on finding wreckage

KUCHING - The search team mounted for the crashed helicopter believe it has found the body of the last victim of the mishap, said Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Seri Muhammad Sabtu Osman.

Sabtu said the body, believed to be of Filipino pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas, was found floating in the Batang Lupar river, 5.5km from the Triso jetty in Sri Aman.

The body, said the Sabtu, was recovered by the search team at 10.15am today.

"The body arrived at the search operation centre in Lingga at about 11am.

"The forensic team at the hospital will conduct an examination to ascertain the identity of the body although we are all aware that the only victim who is still missing is the pilot of the helicopter," Sabtu told reporters today.

Although he declined to confirm the identity of the last body, Sabtu declared that all six bodies of the victims have been found.

Sabtu said the search mission will now focus on retrieving the wreckage of the crashed helicopter with 875 sq km along the Batang Lupar river.