MERSING, June 2 (Bernama) -- What was meant to be a joyful holiday back in their hometown ended in tragedy when two siblings drowned while swimming at the Pulau Mentigi beach here this afternoon.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Mersing Zone director Maritime Commander Suhaizan Saadin said the deceased were Nur Awatif Udaima Mohd Hisam, 15, and her younger brother Ahmad Uwais Al Qarni, 13.
He said the Malaysia Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Johor alerted them at 4.25 pm to activate a search and rescue (SAR) operation, after which MMEA'S patrol boat PERKASA 44 was deployed to the scene.
"According to the information received, the first victim, Nur Awatif Udaima, was found at the location where she drowned by the local community at 4.30 pm.
"The PERKASA 44 boat and the islanders then expanded the search sector, and Ahmad Uwais Al Qarni was found through diving efforts by island residents at 6.30 pm," he said in a statement tonight.
Suhaizan said it is understood that the victims’ family had returned to their village at Pulau Tinggi for the school holidays, and the family had gone to the beach, about 19 nautical miles from the Mersing coastline, for an outing.
He added that the bodies were handed over to the Marine Police Force (PPM) and brought back to the Shahbandar Jetty.
Meanwhile, Mersing District Police Chief Supt Abdul Razak Abdullah Sani said that the bodies of the siblings were sent to Mersing Hospital for post-mortem.
-- BERNAMA
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