KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia – An elderly tourist died hours after being pulled to safety by a lifeguard who saw him struggling in the shallow waters of Mamutik Island, on Friday.

Zhu Zhi Idong, 73, from China, was pronounced dead by doctors at about 4.54pm. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Manager Justinus Guntabid said the tourist, who was wearing a lifejacket, was seen wading in the water prior to the incident.

He was about five meters from the beach and the water was about one meter deep at that time,” he said. It was learnt that the man was part of a tour group visiting the island.

“Our lifeguard saw the man struggling in the water and rushed to pull him out before applying safety aid on him,” he said, adding that the man was subsequently rushed to the hospital by boat.

Acting City Police Chief DSP Yong Thien Foh said preliminary investigations showed the incident took place at about 10am. He said the man arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 at about 10.46am.

“Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was applied on the man who was still alive at that time. However, doctors pronounced him dead at about 4.54pm,” he said.

In January, a 30-year-old Korean woman, also died while swimming at an island resort in Pulau Gaya here.

She was swimming with her husband when strong currents swept them away. Her husband tried in vain to save her.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Manager Justinus Guntabid said the tourist, who was wearing a lifejacket, was seen wading in the water prior to the incident.
“Our lifeguard saw the man struggling in the water and rushed to pull him out before applying safety aid on him,”.
He was about five meters from the beach and the water was about one meter deep at that time,”.