Kedah: A boy, 16, drowned in an attempt to save his friend in Sungai Sedim in Kampung Baru Jemerli near here this afternoon. Kulim district police chief Supt Zulkifli Azizan reported that the victim, Muhammad Haziq Danish Mohd Hafizul Khairi, was at the river with five of his friends when one of them began to drown.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, police received a distress call about the incident in Sungai Sedim at 4.40 pm. Muhammad Haziq Danish tried to save his friend who was drowning. While his friend managed to hold on to a branch of a nearby tree, Muhammad Haziq Danish was swept away by the currents. The victim's friends sought help from villagers near the location of the incident.

The victim was found wedged in a tree stump about 50 metres from where they were bathing. The villagers managed to bring out the body to the bank and contacted emergency services at 999. Firefighters and police arrived at 5 pm and attempted to help the victim, but he was pronounced dead at 5.20 pm by medical officers.

Further investigations did not find any suspicious elements linked to the incident, and the body was taken to Kulim Hospital for post mortem.