Main image via @astroawani/Instagram
While looking for a teenage boy who fell into a mining pond in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, six Fire and Rescue Department divers drowned and lost their lives.
Four of the divers—from the Port Klang station—have been identified as Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34; Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32; Mazlan Omarbaki, 25; and Yahya Ali, 24.
The other two identified as Adnan Othman, 33; and Muhammad Hifdzul Shaari, 25, were from the Shah Alam station.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department chief, Azmi Osman, said that all six drowned while conducting diving operations to search for a 17-year-old male victim, who was reported to have slipped and fell into the mining pool during a fishing outing with two friends.
Image via @siakapkeli/Facebook
The divers were pulled out of the water and brought to the banks of the pond, where first aid was administered by a medical team, but all six divers were pronounced dead.
"A medical team at the scene administered Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on them but to no avail. All six were pronounced dead. Their bodies have been sent to Serdang Hospital for post mortem," said the chief yesterday.
Image via Free Malaysia Today
Free Malaysia Today reported that the divers were caught in a strong "whirlpool" while searching for the teen.
Sepang district police chief ACP Abdul Aziz Ali said that the divers had followed standard operating procedures in donning complete diving equipment, and were tied to a single rope.
The chief went on to say that the unit went down to the pond at 9.15pm to search when "suddenly, a strong current occurred in the area causing the victims to spin in the water while all their equipment came off".
He also said that the victims struggled in the water for half an hour while other personnel tried to rescue them, but they were all unconscious by the time they were pulled out of the water.
Image via Astro Awani
Search and rescue operations to locate the teenager resumed at 7.30am today. Fellow fire fighters and more paid their last respects to the six divers before they were sent off to their own homes to be buried.
Farewell, brave heroes.
Info via New Strait Times and Free Malaysia Today
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