Teen who died during marathon laid to rest today

The 16-year-old student who was found dead after missing for four days while participating in the Gunung Gajah Terom marathon at the Sekayu Forest Reserve in Kuala Berang was laid to rest at the Jalan Pusara Muslim Cemetery here early today.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman was among those seen to have attended the funeral prayer for Ahmad Rafikin Azman, a Form Four student at Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, at the Jalan Pusara Mosque earlier.

Although deeply saddened by the tragedy which had befallen his son, Ahmad Rafikin's father, Azman Othman said he was grateful that his son, the youngest of three siblings, was finally found.

"We accept the tragedy as fate. Thank you to all quarters involved in the search for my son over the past four days," the 50-year-old told reporters after the funeral.

Ahmad Rafikin's body was found by the search and rescue team among rocks near the marathon track at 3.30pm yesterday. On Saturday, the teenager did not complete the marathon, prompting his father to lodge a missing person report at 6pm.

Azman had earlier notified the organiser when he could not find Ahmad Rafikin when he came to fetch him at about 3pm after the race had ended.