JITRA: A son could only watch helplessly as his father was swept away by strong currents while casting a fishing net in Sungai Kampung Paya Parit Lateh, near here, yesterday.
Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan Ismail, 20, said he was unable to help as he could not swim, and the incident, which occurred at around 7.15 pm, happened very quickly.
He said his father, Ismail Hashim, 49, was fishing with a net at the time, while his mother, Siti Nor Sanisah Ishak, 46, and his two younger siblings, Muhammad Khairul Irfan, 15, and Siti Nur Asyyifa, 8, were nearby.
“Our house is only about 500 metres from the river and we arrived close to 7 pm. My father would usually cross the bridge near the river to set up the net, but yesterday, he tied a rope around his waist and swam across.
“Shortly after, I saw him submerge for a while before resurfacing, but he went under again three times before disappearing from view,” he said when met by reporters at the scene today.
Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan said he tried to pull the rope tied to his father’s body but it had come loose.
Meanwhile, the search-and-rescue (SAR) operation for the victim resumed at 8 am today, led by Kedah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Zone 1 chief Ahmad Aminuddin Abd Rahim.
Ahmad Aminuddin said the operation involved the Water Rescue Team from the Jitra and Sungai Petani fire stations, as well as the Rapid Response Team from the Northern Region Fire and Rescue Academy, with a total of 30 personnel.
“Today’s search covers a radius of one to two kilometres along Sungai Kampung Paya Parit Lateh, starting from where the victim was last seen.
“The operation is also assisted by JBPM’s K9 Unit with two sniffer dogs. As of now, the search is still ongoing at the location,” he said.
