Body of one missing teenager found in Sungai Perak, search ongoing for second missing student

PARIT, Feb 18 — One of the two teenagers who went missing in Sungai Perak at Kampung Tepus yesterday was found drowned near the spot where they had entered the water to retrieve a fallen ball.

Perak Tengah police chief Superintendent Hafezul Helmi Hamzah, in a statement, said the body of Muhammad Nazrin Haidar Mohd Hisham, 16, was discovered at about 4.45 pm today.

“The ‘whirlpool technique’ was used and through this method, the body of one of the victims surfaced at the location.

“The body was then identified by family members and later taken to the Seri Iskandar Hospital,” he said.

The Form Four student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sultan Muhammad Shah, along with his schoolmate Muhammad Naufal Aiman Dzulkarnain, also 16, was feared drowned at around 4 pm yesterday while trying to retrieve a ball that had fallen into the river.

The teenagers had been playing with two other friends on a sandbar near the river when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director, Sayani Saidon, who visited the location, said the search focused within a one to three-kilometre radius from the incident site.

“Although there was light rain yesterday, the water level did not rise significantly, and the sandy area remains clear of obstacles, making it likely that the victim did not drift far. We have also instructed sand-dredging activities to cease following the incident.

“For now, our efforts are concentrated in this area, and if the K9 Detection Unit identifies a new location, the search operation will be expanded,” she said.

Sayani said the search will continue using the whirlpool technique, focusing on the point where the victims were last seen to gather further clues.

A total of 69 personnel, including police officers, JBPM and villagers are involved in the operation as the search for the second victim continues. — Bernama