Khairul Rumi Azli being wheeled in on a stretcher at the Benut health clinic yesterday.Faizul Ani in a wheelchair at the Benut health clinic yesterday.
A family of five, including an 11-year-old boy, had to cling to mangrove trees for nine hours when they were trapped during high tide in Parit Mankuasa, Benut, on Sunday.
Cold and exhausted, they finally managed to get to safety at 6.30am yesterday when the tide receded.
Lompak Latorak, 50, his 53-year-old wife Zubaidah Musa, their daughter Juli Sahizat, 32, her husband Faizul Ani, 39, and Juli's cousin Khairul Rumi Azli, had gone from Lompak's house in Parit Sayang, Pontian, to the mangrove swamp about 3pm on Sunday to look for siput sedut (sea snails).
The family had collected about 20kg of snails and 40 clams when they decided to head home about 6.30pm. However, they could not find their way back and drove aimlessly around the area.
Faizul said they decided to walk along a nearby beach to find the mouth of a river to get some clue on directions.
He said three hours passed by and it began to get dark. Then the tide came in very fast.
Faizul said that he, Juli and Zubaidah climbed up a mangrove tree, while Lompak and Khairul Rumi climbed another tree to save themselves from the surging water.
"We hung on for our lives, and by midnight the water was up to our chests," he said at the Benut health clinic yesterday.
He said all their handphones were damaged by the water.
Faizul said he was in pain and shivering from cold, but avoided falling asleep for fear of falling into the water.
"About 4am, I heard a faint voice from a distance and shouted out, hoping they were rescuers. I shouted three times, and then heard a sound of a wild animal. I then kept quiet as I feared for our safety."
The five came down from the trees about 6.30am, when the tide subsided.
A team from the Pontian Civil Defence Department discovered them about 2pm yesterday.
Pontian Civil Defence Department operations chief Atan Abd Rahman said the department received a report on the incident about 8am yesterday when relatives of the family reported they were missing.
Ten civil defence members were despatched for the search and rescue operation.
Atan said the five were discovered 500 metres from where they were reportedly lost at the Sungai Yu beach.
They were brought to the Benut health clinic for treatment, and are in stable condition.
