KOTA TINGGI: A 33-year-old woman and her 13-year-old niece drowned during a family beach outing here, while three others were rescued.
Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Yusof Othman said they received a report about a drowning incident at Bayu Impian Beach, Bayu Damai, around 5.30pm on Tuesday (Jan 21).
"At around 5pm, a group of relatives went for a swim at the beach.
"While swimming, a 33-year-old woman and four children aged between 10 and 13 were swept away by strong waves.
"A 60-year-old man, who is also a relative, tried to help but had to return to shore owing to the rough conditions," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 22).
He added that the rescue team eventually rescued all the victims with the help of bystanders at the scene.
"Unfortunately, two of them were unconscious and later pronounced dead by medical personnel.
"Their bodies have been sent to the forensic unit of Hospital Kota Tinggi for further investigation," he said, adding that the case has been classified as sudden death.
He advised the public to avoid water-related activities at beaches during rough sea conditions for safety reasons.
Malay daily Sinar Harian quoted Bandar Penawar fire station operations commander, senior fire officer ll Ezam Mistorerrudin, as saying that 15 personnel in two fire rescue tender vehicles and a four-wheel drive rushed to the scene after being alerted to the incident.
"The team found six victims struggling to stay afloat and an immediate rescue operation was carried out with the help of the public with the aid of life vests and ropes," he said, adding that the operation ended at 7.05pm.
