Family members paying their last respects to Jay at the St Michael’s Church in Penampang yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: Family and friends yesterday attended the funeral of lawyer Jay Ferret Jeffrey Linjungan, who suffocated and died inside a hole on Wednesday while attempting to rescue puppies.
The funeral service was held at the St Michael’s Church in Penampang.
“He saved the lives of two puppies but lost his life trying to rescue another two more. He is so young just starting out his life (as a trained lawyer). I can’t believe he is gone,” said Jay’s father, Jeffrey Linjungan.
The father also said that the other two puppies inside the hole also died.
Jay, 28, was found stuck inside the metre-deep hole near his home in Kampung Pisang Babah, with his legs protruding from the hole that measures about 45cm in width (18 inches).
Recollecting the tragic incident, Linjungan said he started looking for his son (Jay) when he saw the latter’s vehicle was still parked outside their house after he returned home about noon.
“Jay was supposed to go to work so I was a bit surprised when his car was still at home,” he said.
“I went looking for him and was shocked to see two legs protruding from a hole behind our house.
“My heart started to beat fast and I cried out for my two other sons who were at home at that time,” said the tearful father, adding that neither of them managed to pull Jay out of the one-meter deep hole.
“Only after someone else came, who I could not remember, that we managed to get him out.
“He was not breathing and I tried CPR but there was no response,” he said.
They brought him to the hospital but Jay was pronounced dead upon arrival, he added.
According to Linjungan, their pet dog, Nina, had dug the hole just before she gave birth to four puppies.
“Jay was planning to keep the puppies in a safer spot as it was raining the day before,” he said.
Among those present to pay their final respects were Jay’s mother Jovita Peter Lidadun, his two brothers, three sisters and other relatives.
Jay was laid to rest at the Nambazan Cemetery in Penampang around noon yesterday.