Lata Changkah: The joy of eight friends from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) frolicking at Lata Changkah in Terengganu on the Vesak Day public holiday was shattered when one of them drowned. It was their first visit there as Muhammad Hady Izzudyn Ikmal Hisam, 23, said he and the victim Wan Ahmad Irfan Wan Abdullah Thani, 24, were initially taking a dip with six other friends in the middle section of the cascade.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Hady recounted that he had gone ashore for a drink. Upon returning, he noticed the group moving further toward the center, despite all six being unable to swim. He watched in horror as they began to struggle in the water. Acting quickly, he, with the help of the public, managed to save five of them, but Wan Ahmad Irfan could not be located.

Meanwhile, operations commander Zuraidi Mohd Yusuf from the Setiu fire and rescue station (BBP Setiu) reported that they received a distress call about the incident at 3.42 pm. A team of 10 personnel was dispatched to the waterfall to conduct a search and rescue operation. The operation commenced at 4 pm, and Wan Ahmad Irfan’s body was recovered from the bottom of the pool at a depth of 4.5 meters, approximately 28 minutes later.

Five of the victim’s friends, who nearly drowned, were transported to Setiu Hospital for treatment of near-drowning injuries. The deceased student’s body was handed over to the police for further action. Zuraidi advised the public to be cautious regarding weather conditions, noting that although it was not raining at the time of the incident, the murky water indicated upstream rainfall and the danger of surging currents.