Mechanical engineering student drowns at Berkelah Falls
KUANTAN: A mechanical engineering student of Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (Polisas) in Semambu here drowned while swimming with eight friends at Berkelah Falls on Saturday.
In the 3.30pm incident, the body of Muhammad Ashraf Amran, 19, was found by a searchand-rescue team after three hours.
“He was my eldest son and the hope of the family, but fate is determined by Allah,” said police corporal Fatimah Awang on the death of her son.
Fatimah, 44, who is based at Bukit Aman’s Management Department, said when she found out about the incident at 5pm, she rushed to Pahang from Kuala Lumpur.
She said according to her son’s friend, known only as Yasmin, Ashraf had dived into the river and that was the last they saw of him.
She said she broke down when she saw her son’s body at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA).
However, she accepted the incident as a test from God.
Fatimah said she last met her son two weeks ago when he was on his semester break.
He had asked her to cook ayam masak merah (chicken cooked in spicy tomato sauce), which was his favourite dish.
She said prior to the incident, Ashraf had been spending more time with the family even though he usually preferred to meet up with friends.
“He was buried at a Muslim cemetery in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan, at noon (yesterday).”
State Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Anuar Hassan said the deceased’s body was found by the Underwater Rescue Team at 6.01pm on Saturday, and was sent to HTAA for a post-mortem.
He said a friend of Ashraf’s made an emergency call to the Taman Tas Fire and Rescue Station.