KENINGAU: A five-year-old boy’s curiosity turned into a tense ordeal Saturday afternoon when his finger became lodged in a metal sink filter while he was playing beneath his home, prompting a 40-minute rescue operation by the Keningau Fire and Rescue.
The incident, required hospital staff to contact the Fire and Rescue Department after the boy was rushed to Keningau Hospital, where standard medical means proved insufficient to free the trapped finger.
A Sabah Fire and Rescue Operations Centre spokesman, said the emergency call was received at 4.20pm.
Three personnel from the Keningau Fire and Rescue Station, led by Ranizan Samirin, was immediately dispatched and arrived at the hospital’s emergency zone at 4.27pm.
Ranizan said his team had to devise a careful strategy, ultimately using a specialised mini grinder to cut through the metal filter clamped tightly around the child’s finger.
The delicate cutting process lasted nearly 40 minutes.
The boy, initially calm, began crying from fear and complained of heat the moment the grinder blade made contact with the metal filter. His mother, who remained by his side throughout, helped soothe him, enabling the operation to proceed without interruption.
Firefighters removed the filter at 5.05pm. The boy sustained no serious injury to his finger.
The Department took the opportunity to remind parents and guardians to closely supervise their children’s activities at home, particularly during the current school holiday period.
“The space beneath houses is a common play area for children, but it is important for parents to be aware of everyday objects in such areas that could pose a danger,” the Department said.
