Hulu dungun: A trainee at a skills training centre in Kuala Terengganu was found drowned after an outing with five friends at Chemerong Waterfall, Hulu Dungun here today. Bandar Al Muktaffi Billah Shah Fire and Rescue Station Operations Commander, Senior Fire Officer II Osman Abdullah, said the victim, Wan Shafuan Irfan Wan Harun, 19, suddenly got into difficulty and drowned around 1.30 pm despite his friends' attempts to save him. "They then sought help from visitors at the scene to locate the victim's body," he said when contacted today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, six firefighters rushed to the scene after an emergency call at 1.49 pm, but arrived to find the victim's body already recovered by members of the public. "Our personnel then brought the body to dry land before contacting the medical team to confirm death," he said. Meanwhile, acting Dungun police chief, DSP Jumaidy Bah Chong Weh, when contacted, confirmed receiving a report on the incident. He said the victim's body has been sent to the Dungun Hospital Forensic Unit.

Meanwhile, one of the victim's friends who was swimming with him at the waterfall, Muhd Izzul Faqhriey Mohd Khairiamizan, 18, said he was nearly drowned while trying to save Wan Shafuan Irfan during the incident. "Irfan pulled my hand and almost caused me to drown before another visitor threw a flotation device towards me. After that, I realised Wan Shafuan Irfan had disappeared," he said when met at the Forensic Unit of Dungun Hospital.

According to him, they arrived at the recreational area together with two other friends on motorcycles at about 1 pm before going for a swim. He said Wan Shafuan Irfan had expressed his intention to learn how to swim from one of their friends at the scene before he was seen struggling in the water and eventually drowned. He added that the victim had invited him to the recreational area to spend time together as the latter was due to further his studies at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan next week.