STUDENT DROWN: AMIRUL DANISH SLIPPED BEFORE DROWNING - FRIEND

DUNGUN, Jan 24 -- An Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Bukit Besi branch student, who was found drowned at the Tasik Puteri Waterfall in Bukit Besi near here, is believed to have slipped before sinking and disappearing in the lake during the incident at 11:10 am today.

The victim, 19-year-old Amirul Danish Zamri, who did not know how to swim, could not be saved by nine of his friends at the scene, despite their attempts to reach out and pull him to safety.

His friend, Nor Ahmad Anas Muiz Norazeli, 19, said that prior to the incident, the victim was by his side in water about one meter deep at the edge of the lake.

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"However, Amirul Danish suddenly slipped into a deeper area. He struggled and sank before my friends and I could grab his hand," he said when met at the Dungun Hospital Forensic Unit here today.

Amirul Danish, a first-year Mechanical Engineering student, had gone to the waterfall for recreation and swimming with nine other friends, all of whom are also students at UiTM Bukit Besi.

The victim's body was discovered at the bottom of the seven-meter-deep lake by Fire and Rescue personnel at 12:42 pm.

Elaborating further, Nor Ahmad Anas Muiz said he and the victim had swam at the waterfall four times since starting their studies at the university last July.

"Amirul Danish showed no behavioral changes; instead, he was cheerful and joking around as we walked about one kilometer from the student residential college to the waterfall," he said.

Meanwhile, the victim's father, Zamri Zainodin, 55, said he managed to arrive at the scene while firefighters were conducting the search and rescue operation for his son. Zamri rushed to the location after being informed of the incident by one of his other children.

"I was overcome with emotion seeing the firefighters lift Amirul Danish’s lifeless body after he was found at the bottom of the lake," he said in a somber tone.

Zamri, an electrician, said the last time he saw Amirul Danish - the fourth of five siblings - was when his son returned home for a break to Kampung Seberang Pintasan last Sunday.

According to Zamri, his son was a cheerful and friendly person who never complained when asked to help with chores around the house.

"Amirul Danish was interested in pursuing Mechanical Engineering because his three older brothers had also studied in the same field," he said.

Zamri added that his son's remains will be buried at the Seberang Pintasan Muslim Cemetery once the autopsy process is completed.

--BERNAMA