Imam, wife and children die while trying to rescue drowning daughter

A contractor, his wife and their three children met a watery grave when they jumped into a waterfall to rescue his drowning teenage daughter at the popular Belukar Bukit Waterfall in Terengganu today.

The deceased, who were from Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor were identified as Abdul Halim Samian, 44, and Nurul Adila@Salawati Awang, 39, and their three children, Nurul Arifah, 16, Nurul Aina, 11, and Nurul Izah, 10.

Abdul Halim was also the imam at Surau Al-Furqan in Bandar Puncak Alam.

The couple's other child, Mohd Hasif Abdul Halim, nine, who did not jump into the waterfall to rescue Nurul Arifah, was the only survivor.

Kuala Berang Fire and Rescue Department station Senior Fire officer II Zuraidi Mohd Yusof said a distress call was received at 11.35am before a team of 11 firemen was dispatched to the scene.

With the assistance of the public, he said, the bodies of the five victims were retrieved between 12.17pm and 12.37pm.

"At 12.17pm, the bodies of a man and two children were found, while at 12.33pm, the body of a woman was found.

"The body of the last victim was found at 12.37pm, not far from where the victims were reported missing," Zuraidi said in a statement here today.

According to him, the remains of the victims were sent to the Hulu Terengganu Hospital.