Puchong tragedy: Boy who fell into disused mining pond found drowned

KUALA LUMPUR: The boy who fell into a disused mining pond in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong near here Wednesday, was found drowned.

Rescuers recovered his body at 5.45pm yesterday.

Sepang police chief ACP Abdul Aziz Ali said the body of Muhammad Ilham Fahmy Mohammad Azzam, 17, was found floating about 800 metres from where he fell.

“The parents confirmed that it was their son,” he told reporters at the scene.

The body was sent to the Serdang Hospital for post-mortem and the case has been classified as sudden death.

“I wish to thank all the teams involved in the SAR operation,” Abdul aziz said. The boy’s father Mohammad Azzam Naim, 46, expressed gratitude that his son’s body was recovered.

“His remains will be buried at the Taman Putra Perdana Muslim Cemetery tonight (yesterday),” he said.

The SAR operation for the boy Wednesday turned into a massive tragedy when six members of the Fire and Rescue Department’s Water Rescue Unit died after being sucked into a whirlpool.

The boy had been out on a fishing trip with two friends when he slipped and fell into the pond, which also acts as a retention pond.

It had rained heavily before the tragedy happened. There were strong currents and whirlpools at the pond due fast overflow of rain water into it.