HULU TERENGGANU: A 21-year-old college student drowned while swimming near a waterfall at the Belukar Bukit Recreation Park today.
The victim has been identified as Mohd Hakimi Firdaus Abdul Raki from Kampung Banggol Tasek, Bukit Payong in Marang.
State Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Rozizah Abnihajar said Hakimi had gone to the park with his three friends from Politeknik Sultan Ibrahim in Johor.
According to Hakimi’s friends, they lost sight of him in the river suddenly and when they failed to locate their friends, they quickly alerted some villagers nearby.
“The Kuala Berang station received a distress call about the incident at 2.48pm and a fire engine with seven personnel was deployed to the scene for a rescue operation,” she added.
She said a search and rescue operation was carried out around the area where Hakimi was last seen but to no avail.
However, Rozizah said a scuba diver from the Kuala Terengganu station eventually found the victim’s body about seven metres away from the spot he was last seen.
Hakimi was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor and his body has been handed over to the police for further action.