MIRI – Families on beach outings in and around Miri district have been warned to be extra cautious following the drowning of a little boy along a shore of the South China Sea at Luak Bay Esplanade.
Miri police chief Alexson Naga Chabu today described the Monday incident as tragic.
“Police were informed about the incident and our team had rushed to the site, but sadly the boy was confirmed dead by medics before he could be rushed to the Miri Hospital.
“Those who go on outings at the beaches must be extra careful.
“Families must monitor the whereabouts and movements of their children on the beaches very closely,” he told local reporters here.
Gilbert Bagah, 4, was found lifeless at around 11am on Monday at the Luak Bay Esplanade beachfront outside Miri city, said the Miri Civil Defence Unit, which had responded first to the tragedy.
“The unit received an emergency alert from a beach guard,” the unit had said in a press release on Monday.
“The guard said two small boys had run to him seeking help after their friend was found unconscious on the beach after playing in the water.
“The guard called for emergency help. Our unit rushed a team to the site and performed CPR.
“The hospital ambulance arrived shortly after and we handed over the body to the medics.”
Luak Bay is located about 15km away from the Miri city centre.
There have been a number of similar fatal drowning incidents at beaches in other parts of the country over the past few weeks.
On April 23, three sisters who went swimming at Pantai Cahaya in Port Dickson drowned while two others were rescued.
The deceased were identified as R. Kalaivani, 30, R. Dawige, 29, and R. Sathiyadevi, 19, from Banting in Selangor.
According to the Telok Kemang fire and rescue station, which responded to the emergency, the sea was choppy and it was high tide at the time of the incident.
On May 2, two children from a family of six on an outing perished at the Tg Buloh public beach in Kuala Sedili, Johor.
The body of Siti Rabiah Johari, 13, was found about 50m from the beach at 4pm, while the body of her sister Siti Nursalina Johari, 10, was found 15 minutes later about 15m away from the location where she was last seen, by a search-and-rescue team involving police. – The Vibes, May 3, 2023
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