Was he trying to save her? Bodies of father and daughter recovered from Kuala Lumpur lake

The bodies of two people found floating in a lake in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (June 7) have been identified as father and daughter.

Malaysian news outlets reported that the deceased are a 72-year-old man and his and his 30-year-old daughter who has a mental disability.

Police told The Star that based on eyewitness reports, the man was trying to save his daughter but drowned in the process.

"Witnesses tried to assist the father to get out of the water but their calls were ignored and he continued to swim towards the middle of the lake until he himself drowned," Sentul police chief Asst Comm Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari said.

He added that it is unclear if the woman had fallen into the water first or if she'd tried to go swimming. Investigations are underway to determine her cause of death.

The Kepong Metropolitan Park ,where the incident happened, is a scenic area is said to be popular among locals for kite-flying and aquatic activities.

However, a China Press report on June 7 has alleged that the man may have gone into the water with the intention to end both their lives.

The report stated that the man and his daughter were seen taking off their slippers before heading into the water hand-in-hand, with the man allegedly dragging the daughter in with him. 

The body of the woman was found 20 metres from shore at 11.07am that morning following a search by the authorities. The man's body was retrieved about an hour later at 12.20pm.

candicecai@asiaone.com