We regret to pass on that 6 fire and rescue department divers in Malaysia died in the Line of Duty. This occurred during a rescue operation for a teenager who is feared to have drowned after falling into a mining pond on Wednesday (Oct 3).
The divers were caught in a strong “whirlpool” during the operation in Puchong, a town on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
It was drizzling when the divers went into the pond at 2115 hours to rescue the 17-year-old boy. The team had followed standard operating procedures in donning complete diving equipment and were tied to a single rope.
Suddenly a violent current/whirlpool occurred in the water, causing all the fire rescue divers to spin in the water while all their equipment came off.
The divers struggled in the water for about 30 minutes while other fire rescue members tried to rescue them. All of them were unconscious when they were eventually pulled out of the water. All life saving measures were attempted, but unsuccessful.