Swift action by firemen thwarts suicide attempt

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HOLD ON, SON: Firemen and the teen’s father in the carrier approaching the teen who is hanging onto the drain pipe for dear life.

GLAD YOU’RE SAFE: The teen’s father hugging his son after he was rescued.

MIRI: Swift action by Lopeng firemen managed to save a student of a training skills institute in Permyjaya here from a suicide attempt on early Friday.

It is believed that the student had felt humiliated after being insulted by his religious teacher(Ustaz) at his institute on Thursday evening for his failure to recite the ‘Azan’ prayer.

Around 7.40am the next day, Lopeng Fire Station received a call regarding a suicide attempt.

Upon arrival, the team of 13 firemen saw a teenager standing at the edge of his hostel window.

Clad in the institute’s blue colour T-shirt and dark long pants, the 18-year-old hospitality student was said to have been standing at the edge since 7am that day.

Initial coaxing from the firemen failed as the teen refused to abandon his suicide attempt.

His father arrived 15 minutes later and joined in the coaxing.

Things however took a sudden change when the teen suddenly jumped off from the edge but held onto the building’s drain pipe at the last minute.

This made the onlookers below gasp in terror.

The firemen immediately launched a rescue effort where two firemen and the teen’s father attempted to reach him (teen) on the fire engine’s ladder.

When they were within reach, they then pulled him into the ladder’s carrier where the tearful father embraced his son.

Miri deputy police chief Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit when met during a press conference yesterday confirmed that a report has been lodged on the incident.

“The case is being investigated as suicide attempt,” he said.

He added that the police had detained the student to help facilitate their investigation.

Stanley credited the swift action taken by the firemen for preventing a tragic ending.