‘Dead mermaid’ hoax spreads like wildfire

Published: Wednesday October 7, 2009 MYT 7:16:00 PM

By MUGUNTAN VANAR

KOTA KINABALU: Talk of a dead “mermaid” found on the beach of an island off Sabah’s northern Kudat district is spreading like wildfire among people in the state.

The talk was further reinforced by a short video clip of the purported mermaid lying dead on the shores of the island.

The clip has been on YouTube under the heading “Dead mermaid at Balambangan island” since Oct 3, but tales of the mysterious find had begun much earlier.

“It is a hoax, someone is playing the fool,” Kudat police chief Deputy Supt Dawi Ossen said when contacted on Wednesday.

He said they too had got wind of such talk spreading around Kudat town earlier this week, and had checked with the villagers of Pulau Balambangan where the “mermaid” was found.

“There was no such thing; neither had any body been washed ashore,” he said, explaining that the video clip did not show the island’s surroundings as claimed.

Dawi added that a resort operator there had told police nothing unusual had been found on the island in recent weeks.

“I hope people don’t get taken in by the video clip, it is totally baseless. Most likely, it’s someone playing a trick,” he added.

Initially when the rumours spread, police assumed that a human body had been found on the island.

They were prompted to check the rumours because of concern that people might not have reported finding a dead body.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/7/nation/20091007191959&sec=nation