KUALA BERANG: An elderly woman died after the boat she was travelling in hit a tree stump before capsizing around Gua Bewah, Tasik Kenyir in Hulu Terengganu on Saturday (Aug 29).
Hulu Terengganu police chief Supt Sharudin Abdul Wahab said initial investigations found that the victim, who was from Felda Chiku in Kelantan, had come to Tasik Kenyir for a holiday on a houseboat with 27 family members.
"At 11 am yesterday (Aug 29), the victim, 63-year-old Wan Esah Wan Daud and three other family members boarded a houseboat from Tasik Kenyir heading towards Taman Negara. When they reached the location of the incident at about 4pm, they all disembarked from the houseboat, which was parked at Gua Bewah, to go sightseeing by boat before it hit a tree stump.
"The collision caused the victim to fall into the water and become trapped underneath the overturned boat. She was rescued by other family members and taken to the houseboat," he said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 30).
Sharudin said the victim's son tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her, but since there were no positive signs, the victim was taken in a boat belonging to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) for about an hour before reaching the mainland at Tasik Kenyir.
"The victim, who had a history of lung disease, was confirmed dead due to drowning," he said, while advising the public to always prioritise safety when engaging in recreational activities, especially in lakes and rivers. – Bernama
