SEGAMAT, Feb 22 – Eight teenage boys are believed to have drowned in the Buluh Kasap River yesterday after seven of them went to the aid of one who was struggling in the water.
Divers from the Bandar Putra Fire and Rescue Service were looking for the boys, aged between 13 and 16, following the incident at 9.30 am, said the head of the service, Mohd Aizat Mamat.
He said one of the boys cried for help after encountering difficulty in the river, near a sand quarry, during an outing as yesterday is the weekly holiday in Johor.
“His friends all jumped into the river to rescue him and all eight found themselves struggling in the water,” he told Bernama when contacted. He said 13 boys had gone to the river, but five were safe.Thirteen teenage boys had gone to a popular recreational spot in the river, about 10 kilometres from Segamat, as it was the weekly holiday in Johor yesterday.
One of the boys went into the water and immediately encountered difficulty,said Bandar Putra Fire and Rescue Service chief Mohd Aizat Mamat. He cried for help and seven of the 13 boys jumped into the water to help him, he said.
However, all of them found themselves struggling the water, he told Bernama when contacted. The five boys who did not jump into the river were safe.
– BERNAMA
