The boy was playing with three friends near his home in Kampung Kelaweh, Machang, on Wednesday afternoon when a herd of cows started chasing them, according to a report from the Bernama news agency.
In their attempt to escape, all four fell into the river, located about 500 metres (1,640 feet) away. While the boy was swept away, his friends managed to save themselves by clinging to bushes on the riverbank.
Authorities received an emergency call at about 4.20pm and quickly headed to the area.
“The team searched the area mentioned. The victim was found at 5.07pm, about half a metre (1.6 feet) from the reported location, and was pronounced dead by Ministry of Health personnel,” Machang Fire and Rescue Station Operations Commander Muhamad Osman told Bernama.
The boy’s body has been handed over to the police.
The drowning follows a similar fatal incident on July 5, in Selangor state, where a 53-year-old plantation supervisor died when a cow suddenly reared up and kicked his motorcycle, causing him to fall off a bridge into a river.
