SUNGAI PETANI: A 13-year-old boy drowned while swimming with his friends at an abandoned pond near Bandar Astana here this afternoon.
Muhammad Fiqrul Adha Muhamad Fredaus was swimming with his friends at 1.20pm incident when he began experiencing difficulties.
His friends, who noticed him waving frantically, tried to help but to no avail.
It is learnt that 10 boys, aged between 12 and 15, from Bandar Astana had gone to the pond to swim. However, only eight, including Fiqrul Adha jumped in while two others waited nearby.
A friend, Mohd Adly Firdaus, 15, said when Fiqrul Adha went underwater, all of them clambered out of the pond to seek help.
“We tried to help but could not grab hold of him. We asked the villagers for help and they called the Fire and Rescue Department,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sungai Petani fire station chief Annuar Zaini said they received a report on the incident at 1.46pm.
“The victim's body was found inside the pond at 3.06pm. His body was later sent to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital for a post-mortem examination,” he said.