Tragic outing
Boy drowns after row boat capsizes.
LABUAN: A rowboat game turned tragic for three schoolboys when one of them disappeared after their boat capsized off Kerupang waters near Taman Arena, Kg Kerupang here.
The victim, identified as Aiman Ashraf Rashid, 11, a Year Five pupil, was found floating face-down by rescue teams, not far from Pulau Papan, at about 7.39am yesterday.
Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin said the incident occurred at about 3.30pm when the victim, the son of a government servant,
We believe his two friends made efforts to try and rescue him but they were not successful. Zainal Madasin
was playing with his two friends on the boat at the seafront not far from their house.
When the boat was hit by a sudden wave and started sinking, the boy was dragged into the sea by waves. His two friends survived and immediately alerted Aiman’s mother, he said.
Zainal said a distress call was received at about 3.56pm and a Search and Rescue operation assisted by police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Malaysian Civil Defence Department, villagers, members of the public and family members was launched.
“We believe his two friends made efforts to try and rescue the victim but they were not successful,” he said.