Village health rep saves boy’s life
KAPIT: Willdey Amimo Sabang and his family will forever be grateful to village health representative Gani Lanyau, who saved the seven-year- old’s life last Friday.
The boy from Kebiew, Song District was dragged under by the fast currents of Sungai Paku while on a picnic with his family around 5pm.
“We were having a fun time with the barbecue session at the deep pool of water at one part of Sungai Paku next to Rumah Paku. There were many of us and Willdey was among us,” recalled Willdey’s father Sabang Galau yesterday.
“While we were busy attending to the barbecue, Willdey played on the stone beach. Suddenly he was swept away and sank into the fast currents.”
Sabang said his niece Inya Sangai saw what happened and shouted for help.
“We only managed to discover Willdey some 50 feet away. He was
We were having a fun time with the barbecue session at the deep pool of water at one part of Sungai Paku near to Rumah Paku. There were many of us and Willdey was among us. Willdey Amimo Sabang
floating face down in the water. He’d already lost consciousness. His saviour Gani Lanyau immediately applied first aid and Willdey regained consciousness. Then we rushed him to Kapit Hospital and arrived at 8.30pm.
“Indeed, we are so grateful to all involved, especially Gani who saved Willdey, the longhouse folk of Rumah Inguh, Sungai Paku, Mujong and staff of Kapit Hospital for their care to save Willdey,” said Sabang with tears in his eyes.
The SK Cardinal Vaughan pupil may not have fully regained his strength yet, but he is fast on the path to recovery and is expected to be discharged soon.
“When Willdey is discharged, we will go home to Song and organise a thanksgiving,” added Sabang, who works as a lumberjack.
Meanwhile, hospital director Dr Hii King Ching said the incident proved the importance of being trained in first aid.
Gani is a volunteer village health representative trained by the Kapit Health Department.
He was able to correctly apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save Willdey.