KOTA BELUD, 16 June: The desire of a Kinabalu mountain guide for a wedding ceremony was unfulfilled after he died in the earthquake that hit Sabah on June 5.
The late Valerian Joannes, 27, and his partner, Jessica Sikta, 25, had just become engaged about five months ago and planned to be engaged for two years.
“It is sad that he is gone. We planned to marry, but what can we do? The accident was not expected,” said Jessica to Selangor Kini.
When recalling, Jessica said that Valerian was with another Kinabalu mountain guide, Ricky Maisirin, were trying to take a Singaporean tourist from the earthquake site.
“At the time, Valerian was carrying a 12-year-old child with Ricky to a safe place when they both died. According to the story, Valerian was hit by a falling rock,” she said.
Meanwhile, Selangor Kini was informed that another Kinabalu mountain guide who died, Robbie Sapinggi, recently had his first child about five months ago.
The earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, centred 6.1 north, 116.6 east, about 16 kilometres southwest of Ranau, also claimed the life of another Kinabalu mountain guide, Joseph Salungin.
NS
