By Nancy Nais
SIBU, June 22: When Sibu Central fire station was alerted at 4.26am yesterday that there was a python at a house in Permai Jaya, fireman Mohd Sapee Julaihi and his colleagues immediately rushed over to render help.
Unfortunately, that turned out to be the last task the 55-year-old Sapee did as a fireman.
He died about three and a half hours later.
Acting Sibu Zone fire chief Wan Kamarudin Wan Ahmad told DayakDaily that Sapee managed to catch the heavy-bodied creature using a special tool, and the snake was later released back to its habitat nearby.
But things started to go wrong on the way back to the station.
“They (firemen) were on their way back to the fire station when Sapee complained of chest pain to his colleagues.
“He was immediately rushed to Sibu Hospital. When the doctors came to inform us of his condition, we were told he had died of a heart attack while receiving treatment at 7.55am,” said Wan Kamarudin.
Sapee was buried at the Sibu Islamic Cemetery in Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg before Friday prayers yesterday.
He had been a firefighter for 30 years and is survived by four sons, aged nine to 18. — DayakDaily
