JITRA: A son could only watch helplessly as his father was swept away by strong currents while casting a fishing net in Sungai Kampung Paya Parit Lateh, near here, yesterday. Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan Ismail, 20, said he was unable to help as he could not swim, and the incident, which occurred at around 7.15 pm, happened very quickly.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan recounted the tragic event involving his father, Ismail Hashim, 49, who was fishing with a net, accompanied by his wife Siti Nor Sanisah Ishak, 46, and his younger siblings, Muhammad Khairul Irfan, 15, and Siti Nur Asyyifa, 8. Their house is only about 500 meters from the river, and they had arrived at the location close to 7 pm. Typically, Ismail would cross the bridge to set up the net, but on this occasion, he tied a rope around his waist and swam across the river. Shortly after, Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan saw his father submerge for a while before resurfacing, only to go under again three times before disappearing from vi
ew. He attempted to pull the rope tied to his father, but it had come loose.

Meanwhile, the search-and-rescue (SAR) operation for Ismail resumed at 8 am today, led by Kedah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Zone 1 chief Ahmad Aminuddin Abd Rahim. Ahmad Aminuddin stated that the operation involves the Water Rescue Team from the Jitra and Sungai Petani fire stations, along with the Rapid Response Team from the Northern Region Fire and Rescue Academy, comprising a total of 30 personnel. The search covers a radius of one to two kilometers along Sungai Kampung Paya Parit Lateh, starting from where the victim was last seen. The operation is further assisted by JBPM’s K9 Unit with two sniffer dogs, and as of now, the search is ongoing at the location.