(Source: 123rf and Facebook | Randolf Paza)
On 26 July 2025 at about 5.15pm, a South Korean tourist named Yeeun was out paddleboarding off Tanjung Aru Beach, Sabah when things took an unexpected turn.
Just 5-10 minutes offshore, her Samsung Galaxy smartphone slipped from her hands and sank into the water. Distraught yet determined, she announced a RM3,000 bounty to anyone who could retrieve it via her Facebook page which was reshared by a Sabah veterinarian named Randolf Paza, but no one’s jumping at the opportunity of earning a month’s pay in a day. Here’s why!
“I'm looking for a diver to find my lost phone. I know it's very unlikely. But there are so many precious pictures... So I'm trying for the last time.”
“I think it's likely to have sunk because I put my phone in a waterproof pack. And I think the waves are not strong, so there is a high probability that they are sinking in their place.”
(Source: Facebook | Randolf Paza)
That feeling of losing all of your precious memories
To Yeeun, it was not just any gadget but a device holding precious memories and personal data. Since smartphones are not small collectibles lost and found by the shore she knew this might require professional help from divers able to navigate Sabah’s coastal seabed.
“At first, I thought the photos would be synchronized, so I gave up and came to Korea. But I lost so many precious pictures because they were out of sync. Even if it's unlikely, please I want to find it. I'm looking for someone to help using professional equipment.”
(Source: Facebook | Randolf Paza)
Despite the generous reward buzz spreading fast online, the response from Malaysians was surprisingly lukewarm
Naturally this offer caught fire on social media. Instead of excitement for RM3,000, netizens posted cautionary messages about risking personal safety for someone else’s loss. Many, if not all, warned about hazards of underwater search in murky, or rather crocodile filled, local waters.
As the days passed the comment threads remained active yet no one reportedly came forward to dive under. The phone remained lost and the RM3,000 bounty unclaimed. This incident has become more than a missing‑phone alert. It turned into a viral conversation around trust responsibility and the risks of beachside adventures.
"In this case, I'm worried that the retriever would go missing as well."
"Have to wait for the sea to dry up first before being able to find that phone."
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