Chenderiang: A 33-year-old man reportedly drowned when he slipped into a pool in the Lata Kinjang Waterfall area, near Chenderiang, here yesterday. Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) acting operations chief Shazlean Mohd Hanafiah said they received a distress call at 5.10 pm, and dispatched a team from the Tapah Fire and Rescue Station to the location, about 15 kilometres away, at 5.35 pm.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the rescue team had to hike about one kilometre to reach the top of the waterfall where the victim had slipped. Preliminary investigations indicated that the victim is believed to have slipped into the pool at the highest level of the waterfall and was unconscious. The victim’s friend performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but called for help when there was no response.

The victim was brought down by the rescue team and confirmed dead by a Health Ministry medical team at the site. The body has been handed over to the police. Tapah District Police Chief Supt Johari Yahya stated that police received a report on the incident at 6.46 pm from the victim’s friend, a 39-year-old local man.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim and his friend, both from Sabak Bernam, Selangor, had visited the location for hiking and swimming. At about 2.50 pm, the victim’s friend noticed his absence while setting up a hammock on the hill. After searching the area, he found the victim face down on the water surface. The body was taken to the Forensic Department of Tapah Hospital for a post-mortem, which determined the cause of death to be drowning and classified the case as sudden death.