MELAKA: The seven-year-old boy who was being treated at Melaka Hospital after he nearly drowned in a swimming pool at an apartment in Taman Kota Laksamana on Sunday (July 20) died on Tuesday (July 22) morning.
State health, human resources and unity committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem said the student from SK Rinting 3, Johor, was confirmed dead by the hospital director at about 11am.
"The cause of death was loss of brain function. The victim had been on a ventilator, and it was supposed to be removed today to see if he could breathe on his own, but his heart stopped before that," he told reporters outside the Melaka state legislative assembly in Seri Negeri here Tuesday.
Ngwe said the child's remains were claimed by his next of kin at 12.05pm Tuesday for burial in Johor.
Earlier, the media reported that the child, who was from Masai, Johor, had nearly drowned while swimming in the apartment's pool at about 9.30am on Sunday.
The unconscious victim was taken to Melaka Hospital and admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for treatment.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the boy had gone to the swimming pool with his family. His family later noticed he was not in the pool.
They then searched the area around the swimming pool and discovered that several members of the public had already pulled him out before he was taken to Melaka Hospital. - Bernama
