Remains of drowned fireman buried in Tawau
TAWAU: The body of fireman Mazlan Omarbaki, 25, who drowned during a rescue operation with five other colleagues at a mining pool in Puchong, Selangor on Wednesday night, were brought home yesterday.
His remains arrived at Tawau Airport at 5.30pm and were received in full honours by Fire and Rescue Department personnel here before being sent to the family home at Kampung Tinagat for prayers and followed by burial at a Muslim cemetery at Batu Payong Tinagat.
Mazlan's mother Asmah Abdalis, 54, was shocked to receive the news of her son's death on Wednesday while searching for a 17-year-old boy who fell into a mining pool at Taman Putra Perdana.
Mazlan drowned with five other divers during the operation at 9.15pm due to sudden strong currents.
The other five victims were Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34, Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32, and Yahya Ali, 24, from Port Klang Fire and Rescue station, and Adnan Othman, 33, and Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari, 25, from the Shah Alam Fire and Rescue station.
Mazlan's mother said she talked to her son, who came back in August for holidays, for the last time on Tuesday before he went to work.
The son of a customs staff, Mazlan was the breadwinner of the family since his father passed away and had always advised his five other siblings to study hard. He was the fourth in the family.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said the six fire and rescue personnel had complied with the stipulated standard operating procedures (SOP).
He said although it was dark, the SAR was continued using surface water rescue method as the water was not deep.
“Checks by the department found that they had complied with the necessary SOP and strategy. If it was a planned task, we could call if off, but the task involved a search for a human. (In such a situation) if the condition allows, we carry on, every at night,” he told reporters after the funeral prayers for the six firefighters, who were from the department's Water Rescue Unit (PPDA), at the Section 15 Fire and Rescue Station in Shah Alam yesterday.
Mohammad Hamdan said the department would review the SOP, with the view of improving it, to prevent a similar incident.
He said preliminary investigation at the scene found that the pond was a floodgate and not suitable for recreational activities.
“There is a waterfall and at the foot of the waterfall was where the SAR was conducted. When they (fire and rescue personnel) went towards the waterfall, the undercurrent was strong and there are also rocks placed there as water breakers.
“We believe they must have stepped on the rocks and because of the strong undercurrent, one of them could have slipped and the others were pulled by him as they were using human chain .
“They were in the water for about 10 minutes and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was given to them when they were brought up to the surface, but they could not be saved,” he added.
He said investigation would be carried out on the tragedy.