A man was killed by lightning while returning from a fishing trip with his friends at the Teluk Baru Fishermen’s Jetty near Langkawi yesterday.
Langkawi District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Khairul Azhar Nuruddin, said the victim, identified as 57-year-old Ishak Hashim from Kampung Berjaya, Langkawi, was pronounced dead while receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Maliha.
“The victim, who was also the boat owner, went fishing with three friends at around 8 a.m. from the fishermen’s jetty,” he said in a statement today.
“At about 7:20 p.m., they returned to the jetty after fishing in rainy conditions and took shelter under the jetty’s roof. Earlier, the victim had washed his boat and performed the Maghrib prayers before deciding to go home despite the rain, as he was already wet and feeling cold.”
Khairul Azhar added that the victim was struck by lightning when he reached for his fishing rod, causing him to fall into the water beneath the jetty.
“Members of the public at the scene helped lift the victim onto a boat before taking him to shore. He was unconscious and sent to the hospital at around 8:35 p.m., where he was pronounced dead about an hour later,” he said.
The body was sent to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah for a post-mortem, and the case has been classified as sudden death.
