The body of one of the boys being moved into the mortuary.
KOTA SAMARAHAN: A prawning trip for two teenage brothers at Sungai Plaie, Samarahan yesterday turned tragic as both boys drowned after the boat they were in with their father overturned.
Mohd Haziq Nur Aiman, 15, and Mohd Hazim Nur Aiman, 13, from Kampung Tanjung were accompanying their father Peni Muhi when tragedy struck.
Peni said the boat they were on wasn’t stable and had overturned due to the strong wind.
He related that the prawning trip was actually planned for today (Sunday) as the boys were supposed to be in school.
However, they had refused to attend, as it would only involve sports activities, and somehow persuaded their father to bring forward the trip.
“We started our fishing trip at 10am using their uncle’s boat to fish for prawns along the river, which later overturned due to the strong wind,” he related when met at the Sarawak General Hospital mortuary.
He said both boys could not swim and believed they had clung to each other and drowned.
“I was rescued to safety by other fishermen nearby. However, there was nothing I could to help them,” he said.
Rescuers brought up Mohd Haziq’s body at 2.45pm, followed by his younger brother at 3pm.
Kota Samarahan fire station chief Jackson Anyia said they received a distress call from the police at 1.09pm saying three individuals had fallen into the river.
A search and rescue operation was activated involving firefighters, police, Civil Defence Force personnel and assisted by villagers.
The operation ended at 3.20pm.
The bodies were initially brought to a nearby mosque before being handed over to the police.