BACHOK: "He was struggling, I tried to save him but he eventually drowned."
These were the words of a mother who witnessed the heartbreaking tragedy involving her son, Muhd Naufal Arshad Muhd Aiman Hafiz, 8, feared drowned at Kandis Beach on Saturday (Dec 14).
Housewife Siti Nur Shahidah Muhammad, 33, said she, her four children aged four to 10, and two neighbour's children, aged nine and 10, arrived at the beach for a stroll at 6.20pm.
As she was about to ask them to return home around 6.40pm, her eldest daughter headed towards the rock barrier and climbed onto it at the beach.
"We all, including Muhd Naufal Arshad, sat on the rock barrier together. Muhd Naufal Arshad suddenly wanted to go down into the water, but his sister forbade him. However, he suddenly went down, causing him to struggle and nearly drown," she said at the scene on Sunday (Dec 15).
Panicked by the situation, Siti Nur Shahidah tried to help by reaching out and handing a tree branch to her son, but he could not grasp it due to the strong waves.
Seeing him drift further away, she was determined to go into the water to try to save him again, but the depth and waves prevented her from reaching Muhd Naufal Arshad's hand.
"The waves remained strong, and he, not knowing how to swim, eventually drowned," said the woman who lives in Kampung Nenasi.
Meanwhile, Siti Nur Shahidah and her children are currently being temporarily housed by a homestay owner near the beach while search and rescue (SAR) efforts are conducted by the fire department.
She said Muhd Naufal Arshad was a cheerful boy and attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Beris Lalang.
At the time of the incident, the victim's father, Mohd Aiman Hafiz Che Awang, 34, was not with them as he was working in Kota Bharu.
Additionally, Member of the State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Pantai Irama, Mohd Huzaimy Che Husin, visited the victim's family.
The victim has not yet been found, and the SAR operation continues with the fire department, police, and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force.
