Two boys drowned after jetty collapses in Semporna

Two teenage boys drowned after the wooden village jetty they were on collapsed in Sabah’s east coast Semporna district on Monday.

KOTA KINABALU: Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 19, drowned at sea after the wooden jetty they were on collapsed in Sabah’s east coast Semporna district.

The duo was with six other friends, aged between 11 and 19, when the incident occurred at about 4pm on Monday (May 2).

Semporna OCPD Supt Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said they were informed of the incident by the General Operations Force (GOF) as it took place at the Gading-Gading GOF post.

He said police, with the help of villagers, managed to rescue the six friends but failed to locate the two boys, adding a search and rescue operation was immediately initiated.

“We found the missing boys later found at 4.30pm, but they were unconscious,” he said, in a statement on Tuesday (May 3).

“Both victims were given emergency respiratory assistance, but unfortunately they did not respond and were pronounced dead by a doctor on duty at the scene at 5.30pm.”

Supt Mohd Farhan said police are still investigating how the village jetty could have collapsed.

“All village committees are advised to make regular inspections of their jetties to ensure the people’s safety,” he said.

He urged those with information on the collapsed bridge to contact the investigating officer Sergeant Major Nikan Najin at 016-5632379, or the district police station at 089-782020.

On April 15, seven people including five children drowned after a pumpboat ferrying them capsized off Pulau Timbun Mata in Semporna.