A 19-year-old college student drowned while swimming with friends at Sungai Loh in Kampung Jongok Batu, Hulu Dungun, on Thursday afternoon.
The victim, identified as Ahmad Al Hafiz Asri Ahmad, was found trapped between rocks about 10 metres from where he was last seen at around 5.20pm, according to the Fire and Rescue Department.
Operations commander Senior Fire Officer I Kamal Suhaimi Abdullah said the victim was discovered by members of the volunteer fire brigade after an intensive search.
Initial investigations revealed that Ahmad, a Diploma in Islamic Tourism Management student, had visited the river with nine friends at around 11am for a recreational outing.
At about 4.40pm, he reportedly jumped into the river but failed to resurface, prompting his friends to alert the authorities.
A total of eight firefighters and three volunteer firefighters took part in the search and rescue operation.
The victim’s body was later sent to the Forensic Unit at Dungun Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
