A 23-year-old police officer drowned after being swept away by floodwaters in Selangor, Malaysia last Friday evening (28 Nov).
Constable Muhammad Rahimi Amirudin had been on his way to work after visiting his family when he attempted to drive through the inundated road. His car was then dragged into a drain, forcing him to exit the vehicle.
Source: Sinar Harian
Villagers later recounted seeing him cling to a road sign before the strong currents pulled him away.
According to the New Straits Times (NST), authorities received a call about the incident at 11.30pm and launched a search and rescue operation shortly after.
A Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Fire and Rescue Department response team arrived at 12.02am, but divers were unable to locate Mr Muhammad Rahimi near the spot where he was last seen.
After repeated dives over two days, the police officer’s body was eventually found on Sunday (30 Nov) at 7.30am, about 50m from the road sign, Free Malaysia Today reported.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
The victim’s father, Amirudin Mohd Hanifah, told NST that his son had just returned from buying an engagement ring before the tragedy.
Source: Royal Malaysia Police on Facebook
He had planned to get engaged next Hari Raya, and had earlier shared a meal with his girlfriend and her family before setting off for work.
Mr Amirudin said his son had asked nearby residents if the road was safe to cross but went ahead despite their advice against it.
Even in his grief, he expressed gratitude to the roughly 60 members of the search and rescue team who worked tirelessly to find his son.
Mr Muhammad Rahimi was laid to rest at the Taman Purnama Cemetery at 10pm on Sunday.
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Featured image adapted from Royal Malaysia Police on Facebook and Sinar Harian.