KLUANG, May 17 — Firemen have recovered the body of a 13-year-old boy who drowned in a disused quarry pool after he accidentally slipped and fell in while bathing along its banks at Kuari Felda Ayer Hitam here today.
Aniq Imran Yusof was found floating about five metres from the edge of the quarry pool by firemen at 5.40pm.
It was learnt that Aniq was bathing with his elder brother and several friends by the quarry pool’s banks which was about 1.5m high, when he slipped and fell into the deep end.
A Johor Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said a fire engine with five firemen was immediately dispatched to the location from the Ayer Hitam fire station after they received a distress call at 4.59pm.
“The operation ended at 6.45pm and the boy’s body has been handed over to the police,” he said.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department, more than 300 people died in about 200 drowning incidents nationwide last year.
Selangor recorded the highest number in the first eight months of last year with 44 drowning deaths, followed by Sarawak (34) and Perak (22).
The department’s statistics showed that on average, up to 400 deaths, involving water accidents, are recorded yearly. This is more than the annual average deaths involving fire which is 150 a year.
