KOTA TINGGI: One of the two youngsters who survived a boat tragedy which led to his friend drowning in Sungai Johor recounted the terrifying moments they faced.
Muhammad Firhan Karim, 23, lives to tell the tell of the incident on Saturday, which claimed the life of Adam Benjamin Rosman, 15.
Along with Irfan Mohamad Faizal, 21, the three friends struggled against powerful waves and strong currents in an attempt to save their lives.
They trio were on a boat fishing when heavy rain forced them to seek shelter. They tied their boat to a pole.
However, the mooring line broke, causing the boat to drift away.
All three of them jumped into the river to retrieve the boat. While his friends managed to swim to safety, Adam Benjaminr went missing.
Recounting the ordeal at Adam's funeral today, Firhan, said he fought hard to stay afloat despite feeling weak and experiencing muscle cramps in both legs.
He heard the desperate cries of Adam who screamed for help and chanted "Allahu Akbar" three times before vanishing under the water.
"I was trying to keep myself afloat with almost no strength left. My throat was filling with water, my vision was blurred and I felt close to passing out. I could only think of Allah.."
Firhan said this when met during the funeral at the Cahaya Masai Muslim Cemetery in Pasir Gudang today.
Adam was the first to jump into the river, to prevent the boat from being swept away, followed by Firhan and Irfan.
All three were pulled apart by strong currents. Firhan managed to save himself, while Irfan was later rescued by passers-by.
Adam's body was discovered floating in Sungai Layau yesterday, some 7km from where he was last seen.
Firhan recalled that after being submerged by a large wave, he regained strength by continuously reciting "Allahu Akbar".
Miraculously, after about 10 minutes, the drifted boat came near him, propelled by strong winds.
"The boat did not capsize, and everything inside, including my phone, was intact. I climbed in and immediately texted my brother, Muhamad Faizal, for help," he said.
Muhamad Faizal, who happened to be nearby at the Sungai Penderam jetty, rushed to the location after receiving the message at 2.55 pm.
He found Firhan lying exhausted in the boat and joined rescue teams in the search for Irfan and Adam.
Irfan was found clinging to a small gas cylinder after nearly 40 minutes in the water.
Despite extensive searches in the vicinity of the Johor Port waters and even the Singapore border, they were unable to locate Adam.
Muhamad Faizal said it was not the first incident involving his brother and Adam Benjamin, though previous mishaps had ended in successful rescues.
Adam's mother, Nur Hidayah Abdul Samad, 40, expressed gratitude for the smooth funeral proceedings and clarified that her son, who was a form three student at SMK Kota Masai, had sought her permission to join the fishing trip.
Adam was laid to rest at 12.50pm today, with nearly 100 family members, friends, teachers, and schoolmates in attendance.