Heroic teenager drowns after saving friend

KUALA LUMPUR: In a twist of fate, a teenage boy drowned after saving his friend while swimming at Serendah Waterfall near here today.

It was a heroic feat that turned tragic when K. Rajeshwaran, 19, was believed to have drowned as firemen and rescuers had to dive deep to retrieve his body at the bottom of the waterfall at 2.55 pm.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said they received a call at 1.20 pm from a friend of the victim before five personnel from the Kuala Kubu Bharu Fire and Rescue Station rushed to the location about 40 minutes later.

He said in the incident, the victim and his two friends from Bestari Jaya near here were swimming at the waterfall before one of them got into difficulties.

"The victim then tried to save his friend and succeeded in doing so, but fate was not on his side when he sank to the bottom of the waterfall," Norazam said when contacted by Bernama today.

According to him, at the time of the incident, there were strong currents following heavy rain.

-- BERNAMA