KUALA LUMPUR: Six fire and rescue department divers in Malaysia died during a rescue mission for a teen who is feared to have drowned after falling into a mining pond on Wednesday (Oct 3).

The divers were caught in a strong "whirlpool" during the operation in Puchong, a town on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, said Sepang district police chief Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Abdul Aziz Ali.



He said it was drizzling when the divers went into the pond at 9.15pm to rescue the 17-year-old boy.

The team had followed standard operating procedures in donning complete diving equipment and were tied to a single rope, said ACP Abdul Aziz.

The divers were caught in a "whirlpool" during the operation, says the Sepang district police chief.

"Suddenly a strong current occurred in the area, causing all victims to spin in the water while all their equipment came off," he said.



The divers struggled in the water for about 30 minutes while other personnel tried to rescue them. However, all of them were unconscious when they were pulled out of the water.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department chief Azmi Osman said cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered by a medical team on the victims but failed.

“All six were pronounced dead,” he said.

The bodies of the six divers arriving at Shah Alam Fire Station on Thursday morning. (Photo: Bernama)

The divers have been identified as Mohd Fatah Hashim, 34; Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim, 32; Mazlan Omarbaki, 25, and Yahya Ali, 24, from the Water Rescue Unit of the Port Klang Fire and Rescue station.

The other two victims, identified as Adnan Othman, 33, and Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari, 25, were members of the Water Rescue Unit from the Shah Alam Fire and Rescue station.

The six divers were caught in a strong "whirlpool" during the operation. (Photo: Bernama)

The teen has yet to be found. He was said to have been fishing by the banks of the pond with two friends when he slipped and fell into the pond.

ACP Abdul Aziz said the search and rescue operation to locate the teenager will resume at 7.30am on Thursday.

"THIS IS A VERY SAD DAY FOR US"

Fire and Rescue Department director-general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid told reporters that there have been few fatal incidents involving firefighters in Malaysia.

Officials drape flags on the coffins of the divers before the funeral prayer session. (Photo: Bernama)

"This is the first time (six personnel died). There was one previous case when we lost two members of the department,” he said.

"We carried out CPR but could not save them and this is a very sad day for us. One which involved so many of our employees.”

Mohammad Hamdan said the department would look into the welfare of the divers’ families, including compensation and insurance.

He said the hospital’s forensic department will carry out post-mortem examinations on the victims. The bodies will then be taken to the Shah Alam Fire and Rescue station for a funeral prayer session before being taken to their respective hometowns for burial.



COMING TO TERMS WITH TRAGEDY



Families of the deceased divers were still coming to terms with their loss, the Fire and Rescue Department said.



The wife of one of the divers, Adnan Othman, said she received a call about his death at 11pm.

“I was informed about what happened by his friend. I was at home then,” said Shamiza Salleh, 32. She then broke down and declined to say more.

The wife of Izatul Akma said she was informed of her husband's death when the department's personnel visited her home at around midnight.

"I thought my husband was involved in an accident, instead he had drowned. It seemed like I was in a dream. I saw him early yesterday morning before he left for work," said Rosmaria Abdul Ramli, 32.

The mother of three added that her husband sent a message at 7pm to inform her about the rescue operation.



Meanwhile, the widow of Mohammad Fattah said she dreamed of her husband's death just two weeks ago.

"I told my husband about the dream but he just laughed it off. I never thought it would become a reality," said Nur Nadia Kamarudin, 29, mother of two.

For Noratikah Shaari, 28, who is the sister of Muhammad Hifdzul, she said that her brother would normally give updates of any operation he would be a part of. However, he did not do so on the day of the incident.

She added that her brother was always interested in the unit, and had even said that he would be happy if he were to die while on duty.