KULIM: A 16-year-old boy has drowned while trying to save his friend in Sungai Sedim in Kampung Baru Jemerli near here.
Kulim OCPD Supt Zulkifli Azizan said the victim, Muhammad Haziq Danish Mohd Hafizul Khairi, was at the river with five friends when one of them started to struggle in the water.
"Police received a distress call about the incident in Sungai Sedim at 4.40pm on Monday (Jan 12).
"The victim tried to save his friend who was drowning. His friend managed to hold on to a branch of a nearby tree but the victim was swept away by currents," he said in a statement on Monday night, adding that the victim's friends sought help from nearby villagers.
"The victim's body was found wedged in a tree stump about 50m from where they were swimming. The villagers retrieved his body and contacted 999," he said.
Firefighters and police arrived at 5pm and tried to help the victim but he was pronounced dead at 5.20pm by medical officers.
Further investigation did not find any suspicious elements and the body was taken to Kulim Hospital for a post-mortem examination, he said. – Bernama
