A FATHER was reportedly still holding tightly to his eldest son’s leg when the two were found after being swept away by strong waves at Pantai Kampung Punggai, Pengerang, in a tragedy that claimed both their lives.
Workshop operator Mohammad Nizam Zainal, 33, and his eight-year-old son, Muhammad Zamri Mikhail, were bathing in the sea at about 6pm on Sunday when they were swept away by large waves around 10 minutes later.
Nizam’s wife, Nurul Jannah Kamaruzaman, 31, said her husband and son were pulled from the sea by her uncle after the incident.
“My husband and son went into the sea to bathe at 6pm, and shortly afterwards I heard my husband shouting for help.
“I saw my husband throwing our son up several times, trying to save him, before people at the scene quickly held hands to form a human chain to bring them out,” she said when met at the Forensic Unit of Kota Tinggi Hospital today.
Nurul Jannah said the family had travelled to the campsite with her aunt’s family during the school holidays and had been due to return home today.
She said her husband, who enjoyed camping, had been particularly excited about the trip and appeared unusually cheerful in the days leading up to the tragedy.
“My husband really enjoyed camping and was very excited to go this time. I noticed that he seemed unusually cheerful and talked a lot.
“But for the past three days, he had been unable to sleep at night and eventually had to take medication,” she said.
She said her husband had also not invited her to join him and Zamri for a swim at the beach as he normally would.
“I only realised they had gone into the sea after my uncle asked where Nizam and Zamri were. That was when I saw that they were already bathing at the beach,” she said.
Nurul Jannah said the uneasy feeling she had experienced throughout the journey to the campsite eventually became a devastating reality when she lost both her husband and eldest son.
The two victims were previously reported to have been pronounced dead at Bayu Damai Health Clinic.
Their bodies were later taken to the Forensic Unit at Kota Tinggi Hospital for post-mortem examinations and are expected to be buried at Felda Papan Timur at the proper time. - August 31, 2026
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