Drowned student grabbed his friend’s leg before sinking underwater

A Malaysian national who drowned near Roxburgh in Central Otago tried to grab his friend’s leg before it sank underwater.

Ehsan Bin Zakaria Muhammad, 23, drowned at the popular swimming spot Pinders Pond on Friday.

His father, Zakaria Muhammad Isa, a retired teacher, said his son went swimming in the pond with six friends after finishing work.

“He liked to swim. He was a good swimmer, ”Isa said from his home in Kedah state in Malaysia.

“[At the pond] They were swimming, but he went back to a friend because he got tired. “

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He managed to grab his friend’s leg before sinking under the water.

“His friend tried to save him, but he got too dangerous and he had to save himself.”

Muhammad, one of eight children, moved to New Zealand in 2017 and earned a degree in accounting from the University of Auckland.

“It made us very proud. He always got good grades in his study. He was passionate about learning, ”Isa said.

He bought a car in November after graduation and was working in a garden to save money and continue his education, his father said.

“He liked living in New Zealand because of the beautiful views. He liked to travel to see the sights. “

His wife described him as a “carefree” man who loved all sports and who always made many friends.

“He loved helping people. He was a very kind man. “

Muhammad’s friends and the New Zealand Islamic community had helped raise money to pay for his son’s burial at the Green Island Cemetery in Dunedin.

“We have come to accept losing our son. We believe that God loves him and we pray that he has gone to a higher place.

“We want to thank the Malaysian ambassador, the New Zealand government, the Islamic community in New Zealand, and all parties involved in my son’s funeral.”