GEORGE TOWN, Aug 3 ― A 28-year-old man, who had attempted to swim across to Seberang Perai from Tanjung City Marina here last month, jumped into the sea again yesterday but this time, he aimed to swim to Mecca.
North-east district police chief ACP Soffian Santong said the man again jumped into the sea from the jetty at Tanjung City Marina here yesterday and was rescued by the marine police.
“At about 4.55pm yesterday, the Beach Street police station received a call from a member of the public that a man was found floating in the sea near the Tanjung City Marina jetty,” he said, adding that marine police were dispatched to the scene where the man was rescued.
He said initial investigations revealed it was the same man who had attempted to swim across to Seberang Perai on July 12 when he was not allowed to take the ferry without official letters to allow him to travel interdistrict.
“This time, his excuse was that he wants to swim to the holy land of Mecca,” he said.
Soffian said the man broke his right hand in the July 12 incident and was sent to the Penang General Hospital for treatment.
At that time, the hospital confirmed that the man was not suffering from any mental issues and his parents picked him up later to send him to a drug rehabilitation centre due to his drug addiction.
This time, he said the man was sent to the Penang General Hospital for further treatment and to evaluate his mental condition.
“His urine came back negative for drugs and he has been placed at the psychiatric ward for further treatment,” he said.
In both incidents, videos and photographs of the man in the sea, just off the Tanjung City Marina, went viral on social media.
