Soldier Bravely Rescues 4 Teenage Boys From Drowning In Puncak Alam Lake
All four were safely rescued.
By Aleya Natasha Mohd Ali — 26 Nov 2024, 01:56 PM
A member of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Sergeant Mohd Nor Khalid, 40, heroically saved four teenage boys from drowning at a lake in Puncak Alam on Sunday, 24 November
According to Harian Metro, Sungai Buloh district police chief Supt Mohd Hafiz Muhammad Nor said the incident occurred when the four teenagers, along with two other friends, all aged 13, went fishing at the location.
The group of friends were out on the water in a boat, which suddenly started sinking in the middle of the lake.
Mohd, who is attached to 41st Battery of the Royal Artillery Regiment, Sungai Buloh Camp, said he received information about the incident via his neighbourhood's WhatsApp group at around 12.30pm.
He went to the scene with his son and found the four 13-year-old boys floating and clinging to the edge of a nearly submerged boat, their faces filled with fear. The two other boys, who could swim, had managed to swim ashore to seek help.
As the rescue team had yet to arrive, Mohd bravely dove into the lake and swam out to the victims
When he reached them, they pleaded for help, telling him they couldn't swim. Mohd let the boys take turns clinging to his back while he swam them to shore, making multiple trips to ensure they were all rescued.
The lake is estimated to be about 5m deep, while the distance between where the boys were in the water and the shore was about 35m. Mohd acknowledged that swimming that distance back and forth four times was indeed tiring.
"I kept thinking of the fearful faces of the other victims and I didn't want to think too much because I just wanted to save them," remarked Mohd.
He said it took him nearly two minutes to rescue each victim, and when all of them were safely ashore, the fatigue he felt disappeared, leaving him relieved and grateful that they were all safe.
Mohd admitted that even though he had swimming skills, he was somewhat nervous as he was not familiar with the lake area
"I didn't intend to show off or be a hero but it's our priority to help if we have the capability.
"As a father, I understand we want our children to be safe, so I tried my best to save them.
"I was touched when the victims' parents thanked me for rescuing their children.
"For me, I just did what I could and this was also my first experience saving nearly drowning victims," said Mohd, who has served in the army for 20 years.
The police also recorded their appreciation and gratitude to him for assisting in rescuing the four victims.
