KUALA LUMPUR: "Although the first swim exhausted me, seeing the terrified faces of the other three victims still clinging to the boat made me more determined to rescue them," said Sergeant Mohd Nor Khalid.
Mohd Nor, 40, was the person who risked his life to save four teenage boys who nearly drowned while fishing on a boat at a lake in Puncak Alam yesterday.
Mohd Nor, who is attached to 41st Ceremonial Battery of the Royal Artillery Regiment, Sungai Buloh Camp, said he received information about the incident around 12.30pm via his neighbourhood's WhatsApp group.
He immediately went to the scene with his son and found the four 13-year-old boys floating and clinging to the edge of a sinking boat, visibly terrified.
"At that moment, the rescue team hadn't arrived, and seeing the boys so frightened made me decide to swim out to the lake, as I feared something worse could happen.
"I told the crowd at the scene to help the victims, and they advised me to be careful.
"I entered the lake with a 'Bismillah,' prayed, and trusted Allah SWT for our safety.
"When I reached them, I saw that all the victims were pale and shivering. They said 'Please save us' and told me they couldn't swim. I told them to hold on to my back while I swam them to shore," he told Harian Metro.
According to Mohd Nor, he swam individually with each victim for about 35 meters, with the lake estimated to be five meters deep. He admitted that swimming back and forth four times left him exhausted.
"I kept thinking of the other frightened victims and didn't want to overthink; I just focused on saving them.
"Even though I didn't use any breathing aids, I only relied on Allah SWT," he said.
He added that it took nearly two minutes to swim each victim to safety. Once they were all on the shore, he felt relieved and grateful that everyone was safe.
A father of four, Mohd Nor said his actions were purely out of concern for others in distress.
"Even though I know how to swim, I was nervous because I wasn't familiar with the lake.
"I'm not trying to show off or be a hero, but it is our duty to help if we have the ability.
"As a father, I understand the desire to protect your children, so I did everything I could to save them.
"I was emotional when the victims' parents thanked me for saving their children.
"For me, I just did what I could, and this was my first experience saving someone from drowning," said Mohd Nor, who has served in the army for 20 years.
"The area was quite quiet, especially in the middle of the day when there were no people around. The two boys who survived said they didn't dare to save the others because the lake was deep. They then asked for help from nearby residents," he explained.
As a soldier, Mohd Nor said he was trained to always be ready, especially in emergencies, and had swimming skills.
Yesterday, it was reported that Mohd Nor's swift action had successfully rescued the four boys who were nearly drowning after the boat they were on capsised while fishing at the lake.
Sungai Buloh district police chief Superintendent Mohd Hafiz Muhammad Nor, confirmed that investigations revealed the four boys, along with two other friends, had gone fishing at the location.
The police also expressed gratitude to Mohd Nor for his efforts in saving the four victims.