Five-year-old boy drowned during family picnic

A family holiday turned into a tragedy when one of them drowned during a picnic at Pantai Ayer Tawar near here yesterday.

Five-year-old Mohd Aqil Qayyim Mohd Saiful was said to have returned to the beach alone to swim without the knowledge of other family members.

The incident occurred at about 5.40 pm while the other family members were busy packing to return home to Kuala Krai, Kelantan.

His father, Mohd Saiful Mohd Soud, 32, went to search for him after realising his absence and found Mohd Aqil Qayyim unconscious at the beach.

Mohd Aqil Qayyim was sent to a clinic in Kuala Besut and confirmed dead. The body was sent to Besut Hospital for post mortem and then brought back to Kuala Krai last night for burial.

Besut district police chief Supt Mohd Zamri Mohd Rowi, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed the incident.