A MAN whose vehicle plunged into Sungai Panchor yesterday afternoon was found dead early this morning after a prolonged search and rescue (SAR) operation led by emergency services in Johor.
The victim, Mud Husni Mahmud, aged 47, was discovered deceased inside his submerged car, which was retrieved from the river at approximately 1am by rescue personnel using a crane.
According to Senior Fire Officer I Nor Alfatah Omar from the Pagoh Fire and Rescue Station, the vehicle was located by the Water Rescue Unit (Pasukan Penyelamat di Air, or PPDA) at around 10.21pm, some 50 metres from the riverbank and 15 metres underwater.
“PPDA carried out the first dive at 5.50pm using the arch pattern technique, followed by a second dive about an hour later,” he said in a statement.
“Upon arrival, the team confirmed that a car had veered off and plunged into the river at a depth of approximately 12 metres. Initial witness reports indicated there was one victim — the driver — trapped inside. The search was conducted using boats and surface searching techniques.”
Once the vehicle was successfully raised from the riverbed, the victim's remains were handed over to the police for further investigation. The operation was officially concluded at 1.38am.
A total of 20 personnel from the Pagoh, Muar and Skudai Fire and Rescue Stations were involved in the effort, supported by two fibreglass boats and various emergency response vehicles. - October 14, 2025
