KOTA KINABALU: Despite Sabah Parks having improved emergency response and accident prevention measures, accidents are inevitable.
However, its director Dr Maklarin Lakim said the body has standard operating procedures (SOP) at recreational beaches across all the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park here.
"The SOP has been in place for a long time, and we have continuously improved it over the past 10 years. It is still active, and we have forwarded it to the Tourism, Culture, and Environment ministry for further enhancement, to ensure it is applicable at the ministry level by all tourism operators, not just within our parks.
"Despite our best efforts to minimise such incidents, they still occur. For example, over the past 10 years, we have recorded approximately 1,000 injury incidents.
"Out of these, only 0.8 per cent resulted in fatalities. When compared to the total number of visitors to the parks, the accident rate is only 0.01 per cent," he told the media after TARP's 50th anniversary celebration off Manukan island here.
Last month, a 25-year-old Chinese tourist drowned while scuba diving off Mamutik island, near here.
Maklarin said accidents could happen due to the high number of tourists, leading to possible oversight by rescuers and tour guides, including divemasters.
He added that the carrying capacity for the park comprising the islands of Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi and Padang Point as well as the base camp is 500.
The anniversary celebration event featured a beach rescue simulation by Sabah Parks lifeguards to demonstrate their quick response to emergencies.
After bringing the "victim" to shore, the team provided immediate care and transported him by boat to a nearby resort before he was sent to the hospital.