A 17-year-old boy drowned at a Langkawi waterfall after entering deep water to rescue a friend, despite not knowing how to swim.
ALOR SETAR: A 17-year-old boy drowned while attempting to save a friend at a waterfall in Langkawi.
The incident occurred at the Lubuk Semilang Recreational Forest waterfall on Tuesday.
Langkawi District Police Chief ACP Khairul Azhar Nuruddin said the victim, Muhammad Hafiz Zaini, was found drowned while his three friends were safe.
Initial investigations revealed the group had travelled to the location by motorcycle before hiking approximately 500 metres from the parking area.
“While swimming, one of the victim’s friends fell into a deep-water area,” Khairul Azhar said in a statement.
“The victim immediately entered that area to rescue his friend, but as he did not know how to swim, he drowned.”
Two friends managed to rescue the first individual who fell but could not save the victim, who had already submerged.
The friends then contacted the 999 emergency line to report the incident.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) located the victim’s body, wedged between rocks, at about 2.35pm.
The water depth at the scene was approximately 4.5 metres.
The body was sent to the Forensic Unit of Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi for a post-mortem.
Kedah JBPM Zone 4 Langkawi Chief Fire Superintendent Mohd Zamri Abd Ghani said they received the emergency call at 1.37pm.
A team of six personnel from the Langkawi Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the location about 20 minutes later.
Firefighters conducted a surface search around the area where the victim was reported missing.
“The victim was eventually located at the bottom of the waterfall area,” Mohd Zamri said.
Water Rescue Team divers retrieved the body, and medical officers confirmed the victim had died.
The body was subsequently handed over to the police for further action.
